IN THE CASE OF SUCCESS. 269 



one was the Active, Actinix, or Actaeon. In North-east 

 Bay a passage of the same kind is also known for more 

 than forty miles inwards. In the latter passage the islands 

 were observed to lie in some places not more than a mile 

 distant from each other, but lying more remotely further 

 inwards, when, at the distance above-mentioned, the view 

 was open sea as far as the eye could reach." 



If the above information be correct, which I have little 

 reason to doubt, from the singular value set upon the 

 communication by the person who made it, as well as the 

 great unwillingness evinced on the occasion, it may here- 

 after serve some important purpose, for which end I 

 have inserted the matter nearly in the terms in which I 

 received it. 



The expectations attached to the expedition at present 

 preparing to go into Davis's Strait, lead me to hope that 

 the information which I have given in the foregoing pages, 

 regarding the ice met with in those Avaters, will be found 

 useful to those who proceed with that expedition. I am 

 not less anxious, however, to be heard attentively on the 

 present point, namely, the importance of Disko, as con- 

 nected with the events arising from the expedition. 



I would at once propose that the British government 

 should get possession of the island of Disko, and all the 

 lands adjacent to south-east. The present Avretched state 

 of that colony renders it of little value to Denmark ; but 



