Chap. VI. CAPTAIN PARRY'S SECOND VOYAGE. 199 



our progress once more opposed by a barrier of 

 the same continuous, impenetrable, and hopeless 

 nature as at first." 



Hopeless as it was that much more could be 

 done, as concerned the movements of the expedition, 

 now that the month of August was just expiring, 

 Parry very properly determined that all doubts 

 should be satisfied, as well as that every information 

 should be gained, as to the length of the strait, and 

 the extent of the fixed ice therein. For this pur- 

 pose three exploring parties were sent out in differ- 

 ent directions ; that for deciding the point in ques- 

 tion consisted of Mr. Bushnan with three men, 

 under the orders of Lieutenant Reid, who was in- 

 structed to proceed along the northern coast of the 

 strait to the westward, to gain as much information 

 as possible respecting the termination of the strait, 

 and to return to the ships in four days. By his 

 report it appears that, by an observation on the 

 second day of his journey, the latitude he reached 

 was 70° 00' 05" ; and that from this point he could 

 perceive that the opposite or mainland (that is, the 

 south shore of the strait) gradually trended to the 

 southward, leaving a broad entrance into the western 

 sea. He says, " the weather being clear, afforded 

 us an extensive prospect to the westward, and we 

 could now perceive that a bluff near the north 

 shore, which had before appeared insular, formed in 

 reality the northern point of the entrance, and I 

 named it Cape Hallowell, out of respect to Vice- 



