HISTORICAL SUMMAKY 79 



attention to the importance of the whale fishery, which soon 

 after was begun, and lasts to the present day. 



About this time a Danish expedition, under the command of 

 Jens Munck, sailed into Hudson bay and wintered in the mouth 

 of Churchill river. The ships were unprepared for a winter in 

 the north, and, consequently, the crew suffered terribly from 

 the ravages of scurvy, so that in the spring, out of fifty-two per- 

 sons only Munck and two others survived. These fortunately 

 procured some grasses from under the snow, and as the water 

 opened killed ducks and fish enough to give them strength to 

 repair the smaller vessel, in which they reached home. 



The Muscovy Company, in 1631, again decided to send out 

 an expedition to search for a passage from Hudson bay, and 

 entrusted the command to Captain Luke Fox. Having passed 

 through Hudson strait he landed at Gary's Swan ITest, and then 

 rounded the southwest point of Southampton island, and pro- 

 ceeded to explore the channel between that island and the main- 

 land, up to latitude 6-4 10', where he saw an island near the 

 mainland, which he named Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome, a name 

 now applied^to the channel as a whole. Fox's instructions lim- 

 ited him to the coast south of latitude 63, so he now stood to 

 the south along the shore, passing Marble island, which he called 

 Brooke Cobham, and the mouth of the Churchill river, and 

 reaching Nelson river on the 10th of August. Keeping a south- 

 erly course for a fortnight longer, he fell in with Captain James 

 near Cape Henrietta Maria. Having convinced himself that 

 there was no opening to the west between latitudes 65 30' and 

 55 10', Fox turned northward and explored Fox channel to 

 the east of Southampton island, naming the prominent points 

 on the west side of Baffin island, King Charles his Promontory, 

 Cape Maria, Lord Western's Portland and Point Peregrine, the 

 last being the most northerly point reached. 



Captain James was in command of a rival expedition, fitted 

 out the same year, with instructions to explore to the south of 



