xiv INTRODUCTION 



was reached. On the 9th June he discovered Baffin 

 Islands, in 73° 54'. He then took what is known as the 

 " Middle Passage " across Melville Bay, and reached the 

 " North Water " of the whalers of to-day. 



Baffin discovered and charted Wolstenholme Sound and 

 Hakluyt Island, and passed north till he was within sight 

 of Cape Alexander. He named Smith Sound after the 

 first Governor of the East India Company. He also 

 discovered Carey Islands, Lancaster Sound, and Jones 

 Sound. 



When we consider the wretched means with which these 

 early explorers were provided, we are lost in astonish- 

 ment at their audacity and at the success of their 

 achievements. 



It was exactly two hundred years afterwards that these 

 northern places were visited by Ross and Parry. Baffin's 

 work had been almost forgotten, and his discoveries were 

 not believed. 



During the seventeenth century many expeditions were 

 sent out which were the means of opening up extensive 

 commercial relations with Russia and of establishing the 

 fisheries of Spitzbergen, Davis Straits, and Newfoundland. 



During the eighteenth century several expeditions were 

 fitted out by the Hudson Bay Company, and a good deal 

 of exploration was done by the Russians. In 1728, Vitus 

 Bering discovered the straits which now bear his name ; 

 and in 1742, Lieutenant Chelyuskin reached the most 

 northerly point of Asia in 77° 34' by sledges. In 1765, 

 Admiral Tschitschagoff was sent by the Czarina Catharine 

 of Russia with three vessels to Spitzbergen to sail towards 

 the North Pole. He reached 80° 21', but found it im- 

 possible to advance farther. The following year he 

 reached 80° 28'. In 1770 the New Siberian Islands were 

 discovered by Liakhof. 



In 1773, Constantine John Phipps, afterwards Lord 



