$48 Additional Information regarding the Arctic Expeditions. 
which has since been confirmed. Many channels doubtless ex* 
ist amongst these islands, though at the time the search was 
abandoned in that quarter, they were blocked up by the preva- 
lence of a northerly wind. If the more favourable appearance 
of the passage between Prince Leopold’s Isles and Maxwell 
Bay had not taken them away at that time, perhaps a passage 
to the southward might have been found. The ice was move- 
able. We agree, however, with Scrutator in thinking, that the 
North American continent would be much more easily coasted 
from west to east, than in the opposite course ; for when a vessel 
gets involved in the ice, she must follow the current, and might 
thus get through many straits, which are quite impassable in the 
opposite direction. The only objection seems to be the length 
of the previous voyage before entering the ice. As to the hope 
of success, it depends much upon chance. If Captain Parry 
succeeds in getting past the barrier formed by the chain of 
islands running from Melville Peninsula to the west sideof Re- 
gent’s Inlet, and enters the open sea about Point Turn-again, we 
have no doubt of his success. It would appear from Dr Ri- 
chardson’s view of this subject, that the chief obstacle seems to 
be, as it were, in the threshold of the passage, where the diffi- 
culty, from the narrowness of the channels filled with ice brought 
down from the whole north coast by the current, is very great to 
a vessel proceeding to the westward *. 
Captain Lyon is to anchor his vessel in Repulse Bay, and, 
carrying his boats and provisions across a peninsula supposed 
to be about forty miles broad, to commence his voyage along 
the coast next summer. We fear he will meet with some ob- 
struction on first embarking, from the quantity of ice which will 
be set into the bight behind Melville Peninsula by the current. 
Still we expect he will find a passage for a boat close to the 
shore, carrying it of course occasionally across projecting points. 
The only objection to this mode of proceeding, is, that it will 
cause him to coast all the inlets, instead of cutting across their 
entrances, and he will thus be compelled to w r aste that time by 
the ice, which Captain Franklin and Dr Richardson were ob- 
* The cause of obstruction mentioned above, is noticed by Dr Richardson at 
page 500. of Captain Franklin’s Voyage. 
