16 i INTRODUCTION. 



at the hand of the hourly reader. The man, however, who 

 scans human nature, who studies his connexion with the 

 correlevant parts of creation, and who weighs his destinies, 

 his responsibiUties, his value in the great scale of being, 

 will not be content with words alone, how plausibly 

 soever authenticated. A wish to witness the facts as 

 grounded on observation, denies him quiet, until doubt 

 can be excluded by experience. He tries, travels, studies, 

 deeply reflects, makes up his mind, and passes judg- 

 ment. Such a rule should be the guide of any one 

 intruding on public opinion. It is the same principle that 

 exalts the British jurisprudence above that of every people 

 on earth, in the heaven-born system of the trial by jury. 

 Every honest man so seated is an Alfred, as each indivi- 

 dual there forms his o^vn opinion. 



Such reflections actuated the mind of the writer of the 

 following sheets previous to his undertaking The object 

 of inquiry appeared highly important. It seemed also in- 

 volved in much mystery ; and its development was viewed 

 as matter of meritorious pursuit. A voyage to Davis's 

 Straits was therefore undertaken for the purpose of ob- 

 taining satisfactory information on many points of natural 

 history, hitherto untouched, or which had not been suffi- 

 ciently elucidated. The circumstances of the voyage were 

 of such a nature as left more for observation than a progress 



