14 
A VOYAGE TO 8PITZBEBGEN. 
North-West Passage must be within the Arctic circle. 
This was also shown by Cook, in 1776, when he coasted 
along the west coast of America, through Behring's 
Strait, as far as Ice Cape, in 70° N. In 1789, Sir N. 
Mackenzie followed the Mackenzie River to its ter¬ 
mination in the Arctic Sea. He determined the lati¬ 
tude of Whale Island, off the mouth of the river, to be 
69° 15' N. In 1818, Captain John Ross and Lieute¬ 
nant W. E. Parry went up Davis’ Strait, but they did 
little more than confirm the observations of Baffin. 
Lancaster Sound was, however, now found to be free 
from ice, and Captain Ross sailed into it a short way. 
He was induced to return by the sight of the Croker 
Mountains, which subsequent research proved to be 
purely visionary. His own men doubted the accuracy of 
his sight, and accordingly Parry was sent in 1819 to 
explore Lancaster Sound. His ships, the Hecla and 
Griper , passed over the supposed site of the Croker 
Mountains, through Barrow's Strait and Parry’s Sound, 
to the south side of Melville's Island, where he wintered 
in Winter Harbour. In the following year he at¬ 
tempted to advance through McClure’s Sound, but did 
not succeed. His first voyage was undertaken in two 
small ships, the Gabriel and the Michael , and narra¬ 
tives of this and his subsequent voyages were written 
by Hall, Best, Settle, and Ellis. The first land sighted 
