TllANS-POI,AR PASSAGE. 41 



sistiiig of two ships, sent out by order of Henry VIII. 

 One of the ships, we are informed, was lost : of 

 tlie nature of the success of the other, we have but 

 a very unsatisfactory account *. 



After this voyage, Earentz, Heemskcrke and 

 Hyp, attempted the trans-polar navigation in 

 1596 ; Hudson in 1607 ; Jonas Poole in 1610 and 

 1611 ; Baffin and Fotherhy in 1614 ; Fotherby in 

 1615 ; Phipps in 1773, and l>uchan and Franklin 

 in 1818. 



The highest latitude attained by any of these navi- 

 gators, did not, it would appear, exceed 81*-\ Hudson's 

 highest latitude by observation, was 80"^ 23'. Poole's 

 greatest latitude attained, was 79° 50' on his first 

 voyage, and about 80*^ on his second. Baffin and 

 Fotherby reached about 80° 16'. Captain Phipps 

 80" 48', and Captain Buchan about 80" 20'. My 

 Father, in the ship Kesolution of Whitby, in the 

 year 1806, with whom I tlien served as chief-mate, 

 sailed to a much liigher latitude than any of these 

 voyagers already enumerated. Our latitude, on 

 three occasions, in tlie month of INIay, as derived 



* Hackluyt's Voyages, vol. iii. p. 129. One of the shiji!? 

 employed in this service was called tiie Domiims Vobisctun ; 

 but as to the names of the voj-agers we liave no account. 

 From the bare information Hackluyt was able to collect, it 

 would appear that the endeavours of the commanders had 

 been directed more towards the north-west than towards the 

 North Pole, though the latter appears evidently to have betH. 

 the original design of the voyage. 



