32 
VOYAGE FOE THE DISCOVERY 
1819. eagerness with which the various reports from the crow’s nest were received, 
all, however, hitherto favourable to our most sanguine hopes. 
Between four and six P. M., we passed several riplings on the water, as if 
occasioned by a weather tide, but no bottom could be found with the hand- 
leads. Being now abreast of Cape Castlereagh, more distant land was seen to 
open out to the westward of it, and between the cape and this land was per- 
ceived an inlet, to which I have given the name of the Navy Board’s Inlet. 
We saw points of land apparently all round this inlet, but being at a very 
great distance from it we were unable to determine whether it was continuous 
or not. But as the land on the western side appeared so much lower and 
smoother than that on the opposite side near Cape Castlereagh, and came down, 
so near the horizon, about the centre of the inlet, the general impression was, 
that it is not continuous in that part. As our business lay to the westward, 
however, and not to the south, the whole of this extensive inlet was, in a few 
hours, lost in distance. 
In the mean time the land had opened out, on the opposite shore, to the 
northward and westward of Cape Warrender, consisting of high mountains, 
and in some parts of table land. Several head-lands were here distinctly 
made out, of which the northernmost and most conspicuous, was named 
after Captain Nicholas Lechmere Pateshall, of the Royal Navy. The 
extensive bay into which Cape Pateshall extends, and which, at the 
distance we passed it, appeared to be broken, or detached in many parts, 
was named Croker’s Bay in honour of Mr. Croker, Secretary of the Admi- 
ralty ; I have called this large opening a bay, though the quickness with 
which we sailed past it did not allow us to determine the absolute continuity 
of land round the bottom of it ; it is, therefore, by no means improbable, that 
a passage may here be one day found from Sir James Lancaster’s Sound into 
the Northern Sea. The Cape, which lies on the western side of Croker’s Bay, 
was named after Sir Everard Home. 
Our course was nearly due west, and the wind still continuing to freshen, 
took us in a few hours nearly out of sight of the Griper. The only ice 
which we met with consisted of a few large bergs very much washed by the 
sea ; and, the w r eather being remarkably clear, so as to enable us to run with 
perfect safety, we were, by midnight, in a great measure relieved from our 
anxiety respecting the supposed continuity of land at the bottom of this 
magnificent inlet, having reached the longitude of 83° 12', where the two 
shores are still above thirteen leagues apart, without the slightest appear- 
