290 FOTHERBY AND BAFFIN. 



a.d. view they intended to extend their researches, 

 as far as possible, along that part of the northern 

 coast which had been discovered by Hudson. 



The Company felt themselves authorised to do 

 this in virtue of a Patent which they had obtained 

 under the Great Seal of England, which granted 

 to them exclusively the right of fishing in the 

 Greenland seas. Ten vessels were accordingly 

 prepared, and placed under the command of 

 Fotherby and Baffin. No discovery of conse- 

 quence was, however, made ; indeed this season 

 is remarkable for the closeness with which the 

 ice adhered to Spitzbergen, for, on the 14th July, 

 even the ships' boats were not able to get beyond 

 Red Beach, in consequence of the ice there being 

 unbroken; and so late as the middle of August 

 they had the greatest difficulty in reaching into 

 the sound two leagues beyond it. This sound, 

 although it had been seen by Hudson, had never 

 been entered, until Baffin and Fotherby rowed 

 up it in their boats. They named it Wiches 

 Sound ; and quitting their boats, walked to the 

 eastward and southward, until they could see the 

 end of another sound adjoining, which Hudson had 

 named Sir Thomas Smith's Sound. There was 

 no further passage along this shore, even for a 

 boat. Nor were they much more successful in 

 another attempt, which was made about a fort- 



