14 TRANSACTIONS iSgg-'oo 



ica," which he named Melville Peninsula in honor of Viscount 

 Melville, then first lyord Commissioner of the Admirnlt}-. Separ- 

 ated from Melville Peninsula by the Gulf of Boothia and stretch- 

 ing far into the north is the last of the great land^-; of the District 

 of Franklin. It is (2) the Peninsula of Boothia, jutting up north 

 among the islands to the 73rd degree and forming the most north- 

 erly part of the mainland of this continent. 



The flag was displa5^ed and possession taken of the different 

 parts of the Arctic Archipelago at different times and by different 

 men. 



Frobisher and Davis took possession of the islands on the 

 north side of Hudson Strait. Baffin took possession of Elesmere 

 lyand and all the tract of land stretching far to the north and end- 

 ing with Grant Land. ^ 



Parry took possession of the northern islands along Barrow 

 and McClure Straits. Belcher took possession of North Cornwall, 

 McClure of Prince Albert Land ; James Ross of Boothia ; Parry 

 of Melville Peninsula. Some of the islands were taken possession 

 of by several persons, one navigator raising the flag at the west, 

 for instance, another at the north, and a third at the south, fur- 

 ther explorations showing that the land thus secured belonged to 

 the same island. 



Possession was assured in different ways. Frobisher took 

 possession of the south eastern land of the District of Franklin in 

 1578, more than three centuries ago, by ascending a high hill 

 which he called Hutton's Headland, after one of Queen Elizabeth's 

 favorites and there erecting a large cross of stone in token of 

 christian possession. 



The ceremony of taking possession as- performed at a latter 

 date is thus described by Dr. Armstrong, the occasion being the 

 taking possession of Baring Land by the Captain of the "Investi- 

 gator" : 



"Having adyanced slowly during the night, at 8 a. m. we 

 had reached within two miles of the magnificent headland (which 

 they named Lord Nelson Head, in honor of England's famous 

 sailor) and could obtain no soundings in 120 fathoms of water. 

 Preparations were at once made for landing and taking formal 



