INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
13 
Through stress of weather, together with the ill-health 
of his crew, he was unable to ascend these sounds, and 
was compelled to make for the coast of Greenland. 
His report of the great abundance of whale in Davis’ 
Strait led to the whale fishery there. Meuck’s voyage 
to Hudson’s Bay in 1619 calls for no remark; and 
that of Captain Luke Fox, in 1631, was chiefly a 
re-survey of what Button had seen. Fox, however, 
coasted along the east side of Cumberland Strait, as 
far as St. Peregrine, in 66° 47' N. In the same year 
Captain James wintered in James’s Bay, and discovered 
Charlton Island. After this period most of the north¬ 
west expeditions were at the expense, not of the Mus¬ 
covy Company, but of the Hudson’s Bay Company; but 
none of these advanced beyond previous explorers 
until we come to Captain Middleton, who, in 1741, 
discovered Wager Biver, entered Repulse Bay, and 
saw the Frozen Strait off Southampton Island. 
The voyage of Moor and Smith, in 1746, did not 
lead to the discovery of the North-West Passage, nor 
to any discoveries within the Arctic circle, but both 
their ships went up Chesterfield Inlet. Hearne’s land 
journeys added much to our geographical knowledge of 
North America; but in this place they are noticeable, 
because he advanced to the mouth of the Coppermine 
River, in 67° 48' N.; since this fact showed that the 
