10 COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES OF THE NORTH WEST PASSAGE, 
oeen fitted out, from the time of Alfred to that period, had been, 
as far as the north west passage was concerned, fruitlessly em¬ 
ployed, for so ignorant were the navigators at that time, of the 
true geographical position of America, or of its uttermost north¬ 
ern latitude, that it was in the attempt to discover a north west 
passage, that the Floridas were discovered, thereby showing 
how far distant they were from the real object of their search. 
As however, the English were the first to undertake the perilous 
enterprise, so may it be said, that if the north west passage be 
ultimately discovered, the honor will belong to Britain only; for 
this country appears from the beginning, to have stood alone in 
the great and arduous undertaking, whilst other maritime nations 
have sluggishly looked on, yielding to Britain all the danger 
and the expence, but always ready to seize upon any advantage, 
which might accrue from the discovery. It must however be 
confessed, that from the present aspect of things, no very strong 
temptation is held forth to any maritime power to co-operate 
in the undertaking. It is not attended by any particular com¬ 
mercial advantages, nor accession of territory, unless a desire be 
manifested to compete with Russia, in the empty sovereignty of 
a few hundred miles of snow and ice; it possesses no mines of 
wealth, no allurements for emigration, no natural produce worthy 
of importation, in fine there is scarcely any benefit or advantage 
attached to it, either nationally or individually. Its object is deci¬ 
dedly scientific, and as such it has been pursued with a persever¬ 
ance and a spirit, worthy of the enlightened nation, by which it has 
been projected. Navigation may reap considerable advantages 
from it, but even supposing that the passage were effected, it is 
most probable that a century might elapse, before it could be 
again accomplished, on account of the unsettled state of the ice, 
forming at one time an insurmountable barrier, and at another, 
leaving the ocean perfectly navigable. In former times however, 
the undertaking wore a very different aspect; its object was 
purely commercial; the variation of the needle had not then 
even attracted the attention of nautical men; the physical 
obstacles to the success of the undertaking were unknown, and 
its ultimate ^tta:nment scarcely a matter of doubt; nor was it 
