114 CKUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



as they lie to the west and south of the ice-covered waters of 

 Lancaster sound, the only channel by which they may be 

 reached from the eastward; while the western islands of the 

 group can only be reached by passing through the Arctic ocean 

 from Bering strait, a long distance to the eastward of them. 

 They are comprised of Banks, Victoria, Prince of Wales, North 

 Somerset and King William islands. 



GROUP IV. The islands north of Lancaster sound and Bar- 

 row strait. These include the. great islands of Ellesmere and. 

 North Devon, whose eastern sides front on Baffin bay and Smith 

 sound ; the Parry islands Cornwallis, Bathurst, Byam Martin, 

 Melville, Eglinton and Prince Patrick all on the north side of 

 Barrow strait; the Sverdrup islands Axel Heiberg, Ellef 

 Ringnes, Amund Ringnes, King Christian and North Cornwall 

 situated to the west of Ellesmere and to the north of the 

 Parry islands. 



The following is a list of the islands of the archipelago, hav- 

 ing an area greater than 500 square miles : 



Area 

 square miles. 



Group I. Southampton 19,100 



Group II. Baffin 211,000 



Bylot 5,100 



Group III. Banks 26,400 



Victoria 74,400 



Prince of Wales 14,000 



North Somerset 9,000 



King William 6,200 



Group IV. Elksmere 76,600 



North Devon 21,900 



Bathurst 7,000 



Cornwallis 2,700 



Eglinton 700 



Prince Patrick 7,100 



Melville 16,200 



Axel Heiberg 13,200 



