78 CKUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



concerning the passadge. To those my answere must be, that 

 doubtless there is a passadge. But within this strayte, whome 

 is called Hudson's stray tes, I am doubtfull supposinge the con- 

 trarye. But whether there be or no, I will not affirme. But 

 this I will affirme, that we have not been in any tyde than that 

 from Resolutyon Hand, and the greatest indraft of that cometh 

 from Davis' straytes; and my judgment is, if any passadge 

 within Resoluyton Hand, it is but som creeke or inlett, but the 

 maine will be up / 'return Davis/ 



In accordance with this opinion, in 1616, Baffin sailed up 

 Davis strait, his instructions being to reach if possible the 80th 

 parallel before turning westward. By following the Greenland 

 coast he was able to reach Horn sound in latitude 74 before 

 being greatly embarrassed by ice. Here he met a band of 

 Eskimos, with whom he traded for narwhal horns and walrus 

 teeth. Being liberated from Horn sound, Baffin continued 

 northward past Cape Digges, in latitude 76 35', and across the 

 entrance of Wolstenholme sound to Whale sound, where he was 

 again beset in the ice during a gale. After being released, he 

 passed Hakluyt island and reached the offing of a great sound 

 extending northward of the 78th parallel of latitude; this he 

 named after Sir Thomas Smith. This was the northern limit 

 of the voyage. He now turned south, passing Gary islands, and 

 on the 10th of July anchored at the mouth of Alderman Jones 

 sound, where a great number of walrus were seen, but no 

 natives. On the 12th Sir James Lancaster sound was dis- 

 covered, but could not be entered on account of the ice across its 

 mouth. Baffin could not penetrate these sounds owing to the 

 strong westerly winds blowing out of them. Finding the ' mid- 

 dle pack ' immediately south of Lancaster sound, thickly 

 jammed on the western shore, Baffin stood across to the Green- 

 land coast, in more open water, and so returned home. In his 

 report Baffin says that after having coasted nearly all the way 

 round, he considers it nothing but a great bay, and draws 



