Polar Expedition. 389 
of reaching the Pole, or penetrating into the North Pacific Ocean 
by Behring’s Straits, through this supposed passage, is for ever 
at rest. The Isabella and Alexander traversed the whole bay, 
having sailed up the eastern, and returned by the western, 
shore—thus proving that the whole of that vast and unknown 
country, from Cape Farewell to the Cape Walsingham of Davis, 
is attached to the continent of America. After all, the tradi- 
tionary story, handed down among the southern Esquimaux, that 
there is a rapid and narrow river to the northward, which may 
communicate to the Polar Basin, is perhaps founded on reality. 
Our navigators, in their progress round this dreary bay, saw nu- 
merous whales ; and due advantage will, no doubt, be taken of 
this valuable discovery by the fishers next season.” 
. Extract of a letter from an officer on board the Alexander, 
dated Lerwick, November 3, 1815 :—‘* We got up at the head 
of Baffin’s bay on the 20th of August, and found it nothing but 
a hay, and that we were not further north at that time than 76.45. 
lat. and Ion. 74. W. and found land all round, and quite narrow 
from land to land: and on the 2lst of August we began to come 
to the southward, along the west land, which all the way down 
we found quite clear of ice. We found many large inlets, which 
we were in with the ships, but always found land all round, at 
the head of them. One of these sounds that we entered was in 
74 deg. of N. lat. and were up till our longitude was above 80 W. 
and we found at the head of the bay the variation as high as 110, 
which is about 10 points of the compass.’ 
The following particulars which we subjoin are from a Hull 
paper, but bear evident marks of fabrication about them: for 
instance, a savage, who had arrived at the skill and combination 
necessary to make a sledge, and be drawn about in it by dogs, 
would very easily be able to conceive that aship need not neces- 
sarily be an animal lecause it moves ; for his reason, however li- 
mited, must at least have told him, in the process of contriving 
his sledge-vehicles, that what contains a human being need not, 
as a matter of course, be a stationary machine. 
‘© The subjoined account of the newly-discovered race of 
Esqnimaux has been communicated by Sir John Ross. The 
discovery ships had been lying adjoining the land, between lat. 
76. and 77. fastened to an iceberg, for two or three days, and 
had just shoved off, when to their great surprise they saw some 
persons coming down from the interior, towards the shore, in 
sledges dtawn by dogs. Our countrymen immediately put back ; 
but on landing, the uatives fled towards the interior. In order, 
if possible, to open a communication with them, the Esquimaux 
on] board the expedition set off after them ; and about three miles 
over the ice succeeded in this object, when he found he was able 
Bbs to 
