52 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. II 



others on this coast, afforded hopes of a passage ; 

 " however," the Commander says, " we crossed the 

 entrance of Cumberland Strait, and steered south- 

 south-east," that is, we turned our backs upon it, 

 left it unmolested, and steered direct for England ; 

 and Captain Sabine gave no sign, no indication about 

 currents and driftwood, and swell from the north- 

 ward ;* but Ross does give a reason, and a sufficient 

 one, had he not spoiled it by a total misconstruction 

 as usual of his Instructions. He says, " As the 1st 

 of October was the latest period which, by my In- 

 structions, I was allowed to continue on this service, 

 I was not authorized to proceed up this strait to ex- 

 plore it." The real drift, intention, and meaning of 

 the Instructions are, that, after giving up all further 

 search for a passage, as he had now done, he was 

 not to remain in Davis's Strait so long as to be 

 caught in the ice, and obliged to winter on any 

 part of the eastern coast of America, or the western 

 coast of Old Greenland, but to leave the ice on the 

 20th of September, or the 1st of October, f 



Without entering into any detail of scientific 

 observations made on this voyage, and collections 

 for adding to the natural history of the Arctic 



* Without giving a direct contradiction to Commander Ross's 

 statement regarding Captain Sabine's opinion of Lancaster Sound, 

 it was thought better to leave that to Captain Sabine himself, 

 to deal with as he might think proper. 



t Admiralty Instructions. 



