Chap. IV. PARRY'S FIRST VOYAGE. 87 



prospects, and satisfaction as are expressed in the 

 terms of this passage, and in the course of a voyage 

 of so novel, so perilous, and so precarious a nature 

 as this. It is a just and well-deserved compliment 

 paid by a writer in a periodical journal, who says 

 that, " After a most attentive perusal we can con- 

 fidently say, that few books since the commence- 

 ment of our labours have afforded us more to praise 

 or less to censure, and that not one has inspired us 

 with more respect for the character of its author." 

 The expedition continued to proceed westerly, but 

 made only slow progress on account of the de- 

 tached floes of ice and foggy weather. To the 

 northward as far as could be seen the land was 

 apparently composed of clusters of islands. To 

 the westward the sea for the most part was covered 

 with a compact body of ice, yet a channel was open 

 for the ships between it and the shore. On reaching 

 Sir Byam Martin's Island, the nearest to Melville 

 Island, Captain Sabine and Mr. James Ross, ac- 

 companied by Messrs. Edwards and Fisher, were 

 despatched on shore to make the necessary observa- 

 tions, and to examine and collect specimens of the 

 natural productions of the country. These officers 

 reported, on their return, that they landed on a 

 sandy beach near the east point of the island, which 

 they found to be more productive and altogether 

 more interesting than any other part of the shores 

 of the polar regions that had yet been visited. 

 Remains of Esquimaux habitations were found in 



