Chap. L for difcovering <2 N o R t h-w est Passage, 
Weft by North, by Compafs. We founded frequently, 
and had no Ground with a Line of fixty-eight Fathom, 
all the Way over. When we were a-breaft of the high 
bluff Land, we fteered Weft-north- weft keeping the Mid- 
Channel, and ftill found no Ground at fixty-eight Fa- 
thom, eitcepting fome Iflands that lay in the fair Way, 
about one third over the River, and thirty Fathom 
within a League of one of them. This Courfe we kept 
until we got about fifteen Leagues from Deer Sound ; but 
finding the Tide or Frefh againft us, and the Wind 
coming fair, w'e were afraid of ftaying any longer, for 
fear of hindring the Ships from going to Sea. However^ 
we came to a Grapnel with the Boat, and went up a 
high mountainous Land, where we had a fair View of 
the River, from Whence we faw a great Run or Fall 
of Water, between the fuppofcd main Land, and the 
aforefaid liland, very narrow feemingly, not a Mile 
broad, about a League from where the Boat lay. But 
to the Northward we difcovered a large Colledtion of 
Waters, in which were many Iflands, and high moun- 
tainous Lands on both Sides of it ; the Weft-fide of it 
having many bluff Points and broken Lands. In our 
Return towards the Ships, and not far from Deer Sounds 
we faw feveral large black Whales, of the Whale-bone 
kind, fome of which came very near the Boat; fo that 
upon the whole, we think there may be fome other Paf- 
fage into the Sea, from the River JVager^ befides that 
which his Majefty’s Ships, Furnace and Difcovery, came 
in at ; and imagine there is a great Probability of an 
Opening or Inlet into the Sea, fomewhere on the Eaft- 
ficle thereof, though we cannot fix the Place. Given 
under our Hands this ift Day of Angufi^ 1742- 
"John Rankin. 
Robert JVilfon. 
It may be cafily fecn with what View the Report was 
altered, the moft material Points being changed ; for 
when they got beyond the North-weft Bluff., inftead of 
faying that the Current or frefli Water fuddenly turned 
againft them ; it is here faid, being againft them, the firft 
being a Tide, the other a Stream. Again, inftead of men- 
tioning a fair Channel or Streight over the Iflands, run- 
ning between the high I.ands to the Weftward, it is 
here altered to a large Colledion of Water to the North- 
ward, in which were feveral Iflands with high Land on 
each Side of it ; the Weft-fide having bluff Points and 
broken Lands, without determining the Courfe of the 
Streight to the Weftward. And inftead of faying there 
was a great Probability of an Opening on the Weft-fide, 
by the coming in of the Whales, it is here altered to. 
Upon the whole, we think there may be fome other Paf- 
fage into the Sea, from the River Wager., befides that 
which his Majefty’s Ships came in at, without determi- 
ning it to the Weftward, as in the other; but on the 
contrary, to make it feem otheiwife, they fay, and ima- 
gine, there is a great Probability of an Opening or In- 
let into the Sea, fomewhere oh the Eaft-fide thereof, 
though we cannot fix the Place. This Change feems 
wholly calculated with a View to leave it undetermined, 
that the Captain might have it in his Power to fay, that 
the Opening was to the Northward or Eaftward, from 
Baffins’s Bay., and pretend that the Whales came from 
thence. But both the Lieutenant and Mafter have fince 
confirmed that the Streight beyond the Iflands, was four 
or five Leagues wide, free from Ice, and its Courfe ran 
Weft South- weft ; and the Mafter having feen further 
than the Lieutenant, from the Top of a Mountain, 
where he killed two Deer, was for going further ; but 
the Lieutenant, his Provifions being fpent, and he hav- 
ing exceeded his Orders by fifteen Leagues at leaft (for 
he computed it twenty Leagues, but the Captain would 
not allow it to be fo far) and had alfo out-ftaid his Time, 
he was afraid he fhould be put in Arreft, if he proceed- 
ed farther, and durft not proceed. However, he took 
a Bottle of Water filled there at the Shore, and two Bot- 
tles filled further down the Streight Eaftward. And the 
Captain, when he came aboard, owned that the Bottle 
of Water, taken up at the Weftern End of the Streight, 
near the Current or Fail of Water, was the falteft, which 
the Mafter faid was as fait as any he had tafted Ih tlidfe 
Seas, wFieh was alfo confirmed by others who had tafted 
it aboard. The Lieutenant is now convinced that it w-ai 
a Tide or Ripling, which came from the Weft South-2 
weft, which ftopped the Way of the Boat, and made theni 
come to a Grapnel, and that it v/as the Tide of Flood § 
for it was then flowing Water, and flowed fix Feet 
wdien he was afiiore. But the Captain, under pretence 
it was brackifh, would ndt purfue the Difeovery of that 
South- Weftern Streight or Paffage, but immediately 
warped out of the Cove ; and on the 4th of Augufij, 
the beft Month in the Year to perfedl the Difeovery, he 
failed out of the River to make the Difeovery North- 
eaftward, the quite contrary Courfe he fhould have 
taken, according to his Inftruftions. Nor did he call a 
Council to warrant him for quitting the Difeovery ; 
though on ail Emergencies, or where it was likely to 
turn out to Advantage in promoting the Difeovery, he 
was direded to call one, and ad for the beft of the Ser- 
vice he went upon ; but quitted the Paffage v/ithout Ad- 
vice, by his own Authority and Pleafure ; pretending al! 
the while he was in the Paffage, to regret that he could 
not get out off the River for the Ice in it and the Wel- 
come., in order to profecute the Difeovery. After this^ 
in order to have an Excufe, and to pretend that he had 
followed his Inftrudions, which was to proceed, without 
lofs of Time, to Whalebone Roirlt., and there to endea- 
vour to meet the Tide of Flood, on either Side of that 
Point he found the beft Paffage, in cafe it were an 
Ifland, whether the Flood came from the North-Weft or 
South-weft ; and if he found, after doubling the Cape, 
cither a Streight or open Sea, to purfue his Courfe,' 
ftill meeting the Tide of Flood ; though this limited 
him to meet the Tide, if it came from any Part to the 
Weftward, yet he finding the Tide did not meet him,- 
but follow'ed him into Wager River ; and having taken 
no Pains to know how the Flood was at the Weft End 
of the Streight, beyond Deer Sound., defpifing the Lieu- 
tenant’s firft Report, which mentioned a Tide from the 
Weft South-weft meeting them ; thought if he could find 
a Tide, or have a Probability to account for a Tide’s 
coming from the North Eaftwards into Wager Riven.^ 
he might then fay he followed his Inftruftions in meeting 
the Tide, although it came from the North-eaft ; and 
accordingly, without allowing any Boat to go afliore to' 
trytheftide, until he himfelf landed at at what 
he calls the Frozen Streight., he, in his Journal from 
his own Obfervations of the Current, always affirms the 
Tide of P’lood came from the North-eaft, by Cape Hope 
or Meager River ; and affirms, that at Cape Frigid a 
Weft-by-fouth Moon made high Water, and tliat it 
flowed from the South Eaftward, through a frozen 
Streight, from four to feven Leagues wide ; and accord- 
ingly he has laid it down fo in his new Chart, fince his 
Return, and pointed all the Darts in it ; fhewing the 
Courfe of the Flood through the Frozen Streight., up into 
Wager River ^ and as far as Brook Cobham, along the 
Welcome., where he pretends the South Eaftern Tide 
meets it. 
9. Now I lhall plainly make it appear from Reafpn, 
and from the Obfervations of experienced Men aboard 
him, his own Officers, and from his Caution in prevent- 
ing any aboard him from knowing the Time, Current, 
and Heighth of the Tide, by his making his Obferva- 
tions only aboard, and regulating and minuting them 
down only in his Log-Book and Journak dnly as he 
thought proper ; that there was no fueh Tide from the 
North-eaft, and that he muft have known that there is 
no fuch Tide ; but endeavoured to conceal the true 
Tide from his People aboard. I fhall alfo fhew that 
the Tide of Flood came the contrary Way from the 
South Weftward, near Brook Cobham., and fo went up 
Part of Wager ^River. I lhall alfo fhew there was no 
fuch Frozen Streight as he has laid down in his Chart, 
bur the whole is falfely laid down, and the only Streio-ht 
there was round the Ifland he flood upon, which Was 
but three Leagues wide^ and full of fmaller Iflands, 
which Streight went round the Ifland from North by 
the Eaft, and came out again by the South and Weft, 
between the Ifland he was on, and the low Beach of Cape 
