58 
EXPEDITION OF OX, 
navigators, who had been employed by them in the north western 
discoveries, as not the slightest benefit had accrued to them indi¬ 
vidually, and their patriotism was not of that exalted character, 
as to induce them to incur the expence of an expedition for the 
mere purpose of solving a geographical problem, or of discover¬ 
ing a sound or river, which presented no other advantage than 
offering a harbour, where their ships could lie snugly frozen in, 
with perhaps a very remote chance of ever being able to navigate 
the ocean again. 
Fifteen years had elapsed since the expedition of Baffin, during 
which interval, the discovery of the north west passage was 
treated as one of those chimeras, which had started into the head 
of some visionaries, without the slightest chance of its realiza¬ 
tion. 
It must however, be acknowledged, that although disappoint¬ 
ment had attended every attempt to discover the wished-for pas¬ 
sage, yet that the attention of the country, had been thereby drawn 
to some great commercial undertakings, amongst which may be 
enumerated, the establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company, 
and the Greenland Whale Fishery. Still however, the spirit of 
discovery w as not wholly extinct in England, although it might 
have lain for some time dormant, for in 1631, Capt. Fox, who 
to make use of his own "words “ had been itching after northern 
discovery, ever since 1606 , when he washed to have gone as 
mate to John Knightobtained from Charles I., the loan of one 
of his ships, for the avowed purpose of exploring the arctic 
regions, and discovering the north west passage. As this 
expedition was fitted out under the auspices of government, the 
commander was supplied with many scientific instruments, with 
the history of all the discoveries of his predecessors, and with 
an autograph letter of the king to the emperor of Japan. 
Fox, in regard to his personal character, was not well fitted 
for the commander of an expedition, in which an indulgent 
and conciliating disposition towards the seamen was requisite, 
and their esteem and attachment were to be gained by affabi¬ 
lity, and a scrupulous attention to their wants and necessities. 
He was by no means deficient in natural courage, but the conceit 
