Chap. II. COMMANDER JOHN ROSS. 51 



berland Strait, is peopled abundantly on the chart 

 with great, but un prolific names, chiefly from Scot- 

 land ; and among the rest the territory is divided 

 into a couple of Scotch counties. That he did not 

 obtain " a perfect geographical survey of this coast 

 was " (as he says) " of the less importance, from 

 its not being the main object of the expedition." 

 A boat, however, was once more sent to take pos- 

 session of a small island, which was named Agnes's 

 Monument ; and a large iceberg being seen about 

 the distance of seven leagues from the said island, 

 Lieutenant Parry, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Bushnan, 

 with a party, were despatched to make observations 

 of it, and upon it. Having landed (if it may be so 

 called) with some difficulty, they ascended this 

 iceberg, found the top flat, and a large white bear in 

 quiet possession, who, not desirous to engage the 

 invaders, quietly walked off to the opposite side, 

 and gave a plunge into the sea, over a precipice 

 fifty feet high. Parry reported that he found this 

 iceberg to be four thousand one hundred and sixtv- 

 nine yards long, three thousand eight hundred and 

 sixty-nine yards broad, and fifty-one feet high, 

 aground in sixty-one fathoms^ and that it had nine 

 unequal sides. 



On the 1st of October, when in latitude 62° 51', 

 no land to the westward being in sight, Com- 

 mander Ross had no doubt that the opening was 

 Cumberland Strait — that strait which alone, of all 



e2 



