Chap. VI. CAPTAIN PARRY'S SECOND VOYAGE. 197 



part of the desired strait, of which he gives the fol- 

 lowing brief account : — 



" The strait lay immediately below us, in about an east 

 and west direction, being two miles in width, apparently 

 very deep, and with a tide or current of at least two knots, 

 setting the loose ice through to the eastward. Beyond us 

 to the west, the shores again separated to the distance of 

 several leagues ; and for more than three points of the com- 

 pass, in that direction, no land could be seen to the utmost 

 limits of a clear horizon, except one island six or seven 

 miles distant. Over this we could entertain no doubt of 

 having discovered the Polar Sea ; and, loaded as it was 

 with ice, we already felt as if we were on the point of 

 forcing our way through it along the northern shores of 

 America. 



" After despatching one of our party to the foot of the 

 point for some of the sea-water, which was found extremely 

 salt to the taste, we hailed the interesting event of the 

 morning by three hearty cheers, and by a small extra al- 

 lowance of grog to our people, to drink a safe and speedy 

 passage through the channel just discovered, which I ven- 

 tured to name by anticipation the Strait of the Fury and 

 Hecla. Having built a pile of stones on the promontory, 

 which from its situation with respect to the continent of 

 America I called Cape North-East^ we walked back to our 

 tent and luggage, these having, for the sake of greater ex- 

 pedition, been left two miles behind ; and, after resting a 

 few hours, set out at 3 p.m. on our .return." — p. 312. 



This little journey proved satisfactory as far as it 

 went ; it gave to Parry a personal view of the 

 strait, and satisfied him that its water was that of 

 the sea. But as the north-east point from which 

 he saw it forms the eastern entrance only from 



