LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
413 
tion, with an ample supply of provisions; having an eye to the 
fulfilment of the stipulation with the young Esquimaux, and to 
guard against any chance of want, which had befallen Comman ¬ 
der Ross on his previous excursion. Unfortunately, however, for 
that enterprising officer, he met with the same impediment to his 
progress on this occasion, as on the former one ; for, not having 
any boat with him, to enable him to cross the creeks and inlets, 
some of which were so far thawed, that the water was some 
depth upon the ice, he found it actually impossible to reach the 
place of his destination; but not willing to return to the ship, 
without having enlarged the sphere of his discovery, as far as 
his limited means would allow him, he changed his course to 
the south west, determined to push his inquiries in that quarter, 
until the stock of his provisions was so far consumed, as to oblige 
him to bend his course homeward. 
Early on the morning of the 23 rd, Commander Ross returned, 
dispirited and discouraged; not a gleam of hope had shone upon 
him during his absence, to lead him to believe, that on their 
emancipation, they would be able to make any great progress to 
the westward. The supposed open sea to the westward of the 
strait of the Hecla and Fury, was now proved to be built entirely 
upon conjecture, and that the most direct obstacles existed, to 
the prosecution of the voyage in that quarter; settling thereby 
the question, that Capt. Parry pursued a wise course, in deter¬ 
mining to return to England, instead of forcing his ships through 
the strait of the Hecla and Fury, where he would undoubtedly 
have been wedged in, and been obliged to pass another winter 
amongst those inhospitable regions. The strait of the Hecla 
and Fury is, after all, nothing more than a large inlet; the west¬ 
ward extremity bounded by the land which joins Melville Pen¬ 
insula and Cockburn Island, so described on the maps, but not 
so established by any indisputable authority. 
The 23rd, was the anniversary of the Victory sailing from 
Woolwich, and it was also the king’s birth-day; for the news of 
the death of George IV. had not yet reached the country of the 
Esquimaux. For the purpose of celebrating these two events 
the ship was dressed out in all her colours, a salute of twenty- 
