Geographical Collect ions. 293 
a dark water sky, and turning their course in this direction, they entered a great 
inlet (Regent’s Inlet) ten leagues broad: to two capes at its western extremity, 
they gave the name of Clarence and Seppings. Along this they ran about one 
hundred and twenty miles to the southward, wheh they were forced to return by 
the extensive floes of ice which inclosed them on every side: the extreme point 
of land in view, they named Cape Kater. In their way northward they disco. 
vered a small bay, forming a fine and secure harbour called Port Bowen. The 
vessels were now brought back to Prince Leopold’s Islands, to watch for an open- 
ing in the great western barrier of ice. This occurred on the 21st. The expedi- 
tion had afterwards an almost uninterrupted run; and before the end of August 
they had passed a range of coasts, which they had reason to believe were large is- 
lands, and which were called in their order, Beechey Island, Cornwallis Island, 
Bathurst Island, and Byam Martin Island, and in the middle of the channel 
‘was a smaller one called Lowther Island. West of Cornwallis was a fine inlet 
opening to the north, to which they gave the name of Wellington, while the 
whole of the great channel from thence to the opening of Lancaster Sound, re- 
ceived the name of Barrow’s Straits, to whose exertion and influence this expedi- 
tion had been so deeply indebted. A little beyond the 105th degree, they made 
an island much larger than any of those they had hitherto reached, and which 
they called Melville Island. On the 8th of September the advance of the vessels 
became impeded by a fixed barrier of ice, through which they were finally obliged 
to saw their way into Winter Harbour. Here they had to pass their first winter, 
and it was not until the middle of June 1820, that the ice appeared in a state of 
rapid dissolution. 
It was not till the 20th of August that the entire ice drifted out, and left them 
an open channel in which to proceed. After many useless endeavours to force 
through this passage, and after reaching the meridian of 113° 48’ 29”, and the 
extreme western point of Melville Island, (Cape Dundas, ) they came to the reso- 
lution of retracing their steps, and endeavour to find some channel leading north- 
ward, or to return to England. Their attempts to find this channel proved fruit- 
less, and they returned, after encountering very rough weather in Baffin’s Bay 
and on the voyage home. 
On the return of this expedition, Government proposed to send out another in 
a new direction, and accordingly the Fury (Captain Parry) and Hecla (Captain 
Lyon) were prepared during winter for a second expedition. Captain Parry sailed 
from the Nore on the 8th of May 1821, on the 10th was off Buchanness, on the 
7th June came a-breast of Cape Farewell, and on the 2d of July came in view of 
Bluff Point in Resolution Island, at the entrance of Hudson’s Bay. At Savage 
Island they were met with by a host of Esquimaux, and early in August they 
reached the interior of the bay, and came in sight of Southampton Island. 
Captain Parry now made for the Frozen Strait of Middleton, (Fox’s Channel, ) 
and on the 15th came to what was apparently the extremity of Southampton Is- 
land, separated by a narrow strait from land to the north. Considering this to 
be the Frozen Strait, he passed through it, and entered an immense basin and ex- 
cellent harbour, to which they gave the name of the Duke of York. From this 
they penetrated into another strait, and gained the Channel of the Welcome. 
They examined and ascertained the existence of Repulse Bay, and verified many 
of Middleton’s observations, besides noticing many new islands, and searching se- 
_ veral deep inlets and openings. While exploring Lyon’s Inlet, the winter set in, 
and Captain Parry had again to make his preparations for passing that severe 
season under such extraordinary circumstances. 
On the morning of the 20th July, after being nine months imprisoned in the 
ice, the expedition set sail in search of the strait which was to lead them into the 
grand basin of the Polar Ocean. Previous to their departure, an Esquimaux 
woman, by name Iligliuk, had drawn for them a map of the distribution of land in 
these seas, and they proceeded in an unobstructed course, verifying this map, 
coming to high land delineated in the Esquimaux charts, and finally arriving at 
an inhabited island called Igloolik. The strait was here blocked up by a level 
