86 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 
named Cape Hope. Being unable to proceed farther on account 
of ice, he walked fifteen miles to a high point, from which he 
saw a frozen strait, turning round the north end of Southampton 
island, with the flood tide coming from Fox channel into 
Repulse bay. On middleton's return, Dobbs was greatly disap- 
pointed, and preferred charges against Middleton to the 
Admiralty, accusing him of want of honesty in the report of his 
proceedings, and of concealing everything that told in favour 
of a passage, so that he might serve the interests of the Hudson's 
Bay Company, which he, Dobbs, alleged would be injured by the 
discovery of a northwest passage. The honest reply of Middleton 
and the evidences which he adduced of the truth of his state- 
ments satisfied the Admiralty, but it was not until eighty years 
later that the correctness of his statements was verified by 
Parry. In the meantime Dobbs had influence enough to pro- 
cure the passage of an Act of Parliament, offering a reward of 
20,000 for the discovery of a northwest passage; and was also 
instrumental in raising sufficient money to outfit two ships to 
earn the reward. They sailed in 1746, and wintered at Port 
Nelson. Their captains agreed only on one point, and that was 
that they were not expected to explore repulse bay and the 
Frozen strait, and, after an examination, that Wager inlet could 
connect only with the Welcome. On the 25th of August a coun- 
cil was held, and a ' definitive resolution was taken to bear away 
Without further delay for England ' ' the discovery being 
finished,' as the narrative puts it. Both ships had entered Ches- 
terfield inlet, which had been examined as far as an overfall or 
cascade. The account of this was not thought satisfactory in 
England, so, to settle the question the Hudson's Bay Company 
sent Captain Christopher in a sloop to examine it again, in 
1761. On his return he reported that he had navigated the inlet 
for more than 150 miles in a westerly direction, until he found 
the water fresh, but had not seen its end. On this, Mr. Norton 
was sent, in 1762, to trace it to its extremity, which he did, and 
