140 On the North-west Passage. 
These facts, I conceive, sufficiently prove the existence 
ofa water communication. It remains now to examine what 
are its obstructions? These are many and difficult, but 
may perhaps be overcome, though not to serve any useful 
commercial purpose. 
The Russians have sailed along the north of Asia, from 
Archangel to Beliring’s straits, beyond the 75° of N.Jat. One 
half that distance would take us from Baffin’s bay to the 
same point, in the same parallel of latitude. Why then, it 
will be asked, have all the voyages for that purpose failed ? 
The numerous bodies of ice that exist throughout the 
year, west of Greenland, render the navigation difficult and 
dangerous. We have every reason to believe that Greenland 
and all the land west of it to Behring’s straits form a great 
chain or congregation of islands, and that Baflfin’s bay, Hud- 
son’s bay, Prince Regent inlet, and other waters of the same 
description, are arms of the polar sea. ‘The numerous islands 
discerned by Parry and by Franklin fully illustrate this idea, 
the existence of those islands displays to us at once the source 
of such a constant supply of ice. It isadmitted by most per- 
sons who have made observations on this subject, that ice is 
seldom formed at sea. ‘The currents in Baflin’s bay and Da- 
vis’s straits are uniformily from the N. W. and Capt. Parry 
observed, that a N. W. wind always cleared the southern 
shores of the north Georgian islands, and gave him a clear 
sea to navigate in. These numerous islands are prolific nurs- 
eries for the creation of ice. ‘The quantity of earth and 
stones found attached to the icebergs, must satisfy us they 
have been formed in inlets and under cliffs, aud we may safe- 
ly conclude, if once launched from the shore, there is little 
to be apprehended by getting to the north of them. 
The whalers uniformily agree in their statements relative 
to the diminution of ice beyond the 80° of N. lat. and as Mr. 
Scoresby is of the most respectable authority, I quote the 
following passage from him, ‘“ Our latitude on those occa- 
sions, in the month of May (1806) as derived from observa- 
tions taken with a sextant by myself and my father, was 80° 
50’ 81° 2’ and 81° 12’; after which we sailed so far to the 
northward as made about $1° 30’.”” Here Mr. S. could not 
have been repelled by the ice, or he would have mentioned 
it. He does not assign any cause for returning—it is to be 
presumed that his fishing required his atterition. 
