210 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VI. 



our arrival the bells of Lerwick were set ringing, the inha- 

 bitants flocked from every part of the country to express 

 their joy at our unexpected return, and the town was at 

 night illuminated, as if each individual had a brother or a 

 son among us. On the 12th, being Sunday, the officers 

 and men of both ships attended divine service on shore, 

 when the worthy minister, the Reverend Mr. Menzies, who 

 was before well known to many among us, offered up in the 

 most solemn and impressive manner a thanksgiving for our 

 safe return ; at the same time calling upon us, with great 

 earnestness, never to forget what we owed to Him who had 

 been ' about our path, and about our bed, and who spieth 

 out all our ways.' The peculiarity of the circumstances 

 under which we had joined the congregation, the warmth of 

 feeling exhibited by every person assembled within the 

 sacred walls, together with the affectionate energy of the 

 preacher, combined to produce an effect of which words can 

 convey but little idea, but which will not easily be effaced 

 from the minds of those who were present on this affecting 

 occasion." — p. 486. 



On the 18th Captain Parry arrived at the Ad- 

 miralty, and the ships were paid off on the 16th of 

 November. 



On looking back at the horrible navigation, from 

 the entrance of Hudson's Strait to Winter Island, 

 through Middleton's Frozen Strait, along the coast 

 of the land which separates Prince Regent's Inlet 

 from Fox's Channel, and the same villainous kind 

 of navigation along the same coast from Winter 

 Island to Igloolik, near the mouth of the Fury and 

 Hecla Strait, there does not appear to be the 

 slightest encouragement ever to send another ship 



