86 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. IV 



always been a source of uneasiness to us, principally from 

 the possibility that it might take a turn to the southward, 

 and unite with the coast of America. The appearance of 

 this broad opening, free from ice, and of the land on each 

 side of it, more especially that on the west, leaving scarcely 

 a doubt on our minds of the latter being an island, relieved 

 us from all anxiety on that score ; and every one felt that 

 we were now finally disentangled from the land which forms 

 the western side of Baffin's Bay ; and that, in fact, we had 

 actually entered the Polar Sea. Fully impressed with this 

 idea, I ventured to distinguish the magnificent opening, 

 through which our passage had been effected from Baffin's 

 Bay to Wellington Channel, by the name of Barrow's Strait, 

 after my friend Mr. Barrow, Secretary of the Admiralty, both 

 as a private testimony of my esteem for that gentleman and 

 as a public acknowledgment due to him for his zeal and ex- 

 ertions in the promotion of northern discovery." — pp. 51, 52. 



He then pays the compliment of assigning to the 



capes, inlets, and groups of islands the names of 



Hotham, Barlow, and Cornwallis; and goes on to 



say :— 



" Though two-thirds of the month of August had now 

 elapsed, I had every reason to be satisfied with the progress 

 we had hitherto made. I calculated upon the sea being 

 still navigable for six weeks to come, and probably more, if 

 the state of the ice would permit us to edge away to the 

 southward in our progress westerly : our prospects, indeed, 

 were truly exhilarating ; the ships had suffered no injury ; 

 we had plenty of provisions ; crews in high health and 

 spirits ; a sea, if not open, at least navigable ; and a zealous 

 and unanimous determination in both officers and men to 

 accomplish, by all possible means, the grand object on which 

 we had the happiness to be employed." — p. 52. 



It is delightful to dwell upon such joyful hopes, 



