Observations on the late Expedition of‘ Capt. Parry , 
very of vast unknown regions in the West, it still appeared 
quite probable that there might be openings admitting of such 
a passage. After, however, Vesputius, Ojeda, and other ad- 
venturers, had beat in vain round the Gulf of Mexico, and had 
traced a vast mass of continent stretching southward, men’s 
views were, with some reluctance, turned to the north, as to 
the only remaining quarter of hope. The first great exertion 
in this direction appears to have been made by Sebastian Cabot, 
a Venetian, in the service of England, alternately encouraged 
and neglected, but at length created General Pilot of England. 
Under the enlightened reign of Edward VI., Cabot and his son 
made one or more voyages along the coast of North America, 
traced the boundary of what is now the United States, and 
partly that of Newfoundland ; but finding that the invariable 
and always increasing direction of the coast was north-east, the 
most unpromising possible, and that they were coming into the 
region of floating ice, and inclement skies, they were satisfied 
with the discoveries already made, and returned to England. 
Cortereal, a Portuguese, sailed along the coast of Labrador, 
which, in the early maps, is called from him Corterealis, and pro- 
bably he even traced the entrance of Hudson’s Bay. It is cer- 
tain that he returned with sanguine hopes of discovering a 
passage, for he soon after set out on a new expedition ; but 
the issue was fatal ; he returned no more His brother, Miguel, 
who went in search of him, shared the same fate. A third, who 
desired to follow, was stopped by the express orders of the 
King. With this enterprising and unfortunate family, seems to 
have expired the zeal of the Portuguese for discovery in a north- 
ern direction. 
Spain, which claimed America as her own, might have been 
expected to take the lead in tracing its boundaries, and its re- 
lations with the neighbouring continent. Before, however, that 
power had succeeded in establishing full sway over her exten- 
sive dominions in the New World, her administration had be- 
gun to sink into that gloomy apathy in which it has ever since 
been involved. From the western coast of Mexico, however, 
she sent several expeditions, to discover the Strait of Anian. 
This celebrated name, which glittered for several centuries be- 
fore the eyes of modern adventurers, has involved geographers 
