XXVUl 



INTRODUCTION. 



wanting to complete the great plan of difcovery. The 

 Southern hemifphere had, indeed, been repeatedly vifited, 

 and its utmoft acceffibie extremities been furveyed. But 

 much uncertainty, and, of courfe, great variety of opinion, 

 fublifted, as to the navigable extremities of our own hemi- 

 fphere; particularly, as to the exiftence, or, at leafl, as to 

 the pra(5ticability of a Northern pafTage between the Atlan- 

 tic and Pacific Oceans, either by failing Eaftward, roimd Afia, 

 or Weftward, round North America. 



It was obvious, that if fuch a paflage could be efFecHied, 

 voyages to Japan and China, and, indeed, to the Eaft Indies 

 in general, would be much fhortened ; and confequently 

 become more profitable, than by making the tedious circuit 

 of the Cape of Good Hope. Accordingly, it became a fa- 

 vourite objefl of the Englifli to effedtuate this, above two 

 centuries ago ; and (to fay nothing of Cabot's original at- 

 tempt, in 1497, which ended in the difcovery of Newfound- 

 land, and the Labradore coaft) from Frobifher*s firfl voyage 

 to find a Weftern pafTage, in 1576, to thofe of James and of 

 Fox, in 1631, repeated trials had been made by our enter- 

 prizing adventurers. But though farther knowledge of the 

 Northern extent of America was obtained in the courfe of 

 thefe voyages, by the difcovery of Hudfon's and Baffin's 

 Bays, the wifhed-for pafllage, on that fide, into the Pacific 

 Ocean, was flill unattained. Our countrymen, and the 

 Dutch, were equally unfuccefsful, in various attempts, 

 to find this pafTage in an Eaftern dire<5lion. Wood's 

 failure, in 1676^ feems to have clofed the longjift of unfor- 

 tunate Northern expeditions in that century ; and the difco- 

 very, if not abfolutely defpaired of, by having been fo often 

 milFed, ceafed, for many years, to be fought for. 



Mr. 



