86 CKUISE 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 ho 

 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 



