A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 231 



peditions, was frustrated by the ice, which prevented the 

 ships from advancing beyond the seventy-sixth degree 

 north. The misfortune of shipwreck was added to dis- 

 appointment, as the King's ship came foul of a sunken rock 

 and foundered. This accident damped the expectations of 

 those who advocated the design, and the thing was pro- 

 nounced impracticable. 



The spirit of adventure, however, it appears, was not 

 yet quite subdued, as Captain Barlow was afterwards sent 

 out in the year 1720, by a company of private persons, 

 to seek a passage to China through some opening in 

 Hudson's Bay. The undertaking cost the Captain and 

 crew their lives, the ship having been cast away in about 

 the latitude of 63° N. when every person on board 

 perished. 



Another unsuccessful attempt was made by Capt. Scroggs 

 in 1722. Like all the former adventurers, he failed in 

 accomplishing his object. 



In order to rectify all the supposed errors of preceding 

 voyagers, Mr. Dobbs took the pains of collecting the 

 amplest information on the subject, and drew up his views 

 of the matter, in which he largely examined the nature of 

 the currents, tides, and the other circumstances which 

 appeared necessary to illustrate the subject. 



Mr. Dobbs having communicated his information to 

 Capt. Middleton, a gentleman, like most of his con- 



