240 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



which is little less than the direct distance 

 between the Copper-Mine River and Re- 

 pulse Bay ; supposing the latter to be in the 

 longitude assigned to it by Middleton. 



When the many perplexing incidents 

 which occurred during the survey of the 

 coast are considered, in connexion with the 

 shortness of the period during which ope- 

 rations of the kind can be carried on, and 

 the distance we had to travel before we 

 could gain a place of shelter for the winter, 

 I trust it will be judged that we prosecuted 

 the enterprise as far as was prudent, and 

 abandoned it only under a well-founded 

 conviction that a further advance would en- 

 danger the lives of the whole party, and 

 prevent the knowledge of what had been 

 done from reaching England. The active 

 assistance I received from the officers, in 

 contending with the fears of the men, de- 

 mands my warmest gratitude. 



Our researches, as far as they have gone, 

 favour the opinion of those who contend for 

 the practicability of a North- West Passage* 

 The general line of coast probably runs 



