is with a renewed attempt after this search that the modern history
of Arctic exploration begins. In 1818 two expeditions were sent under
the influence of Sir Joseph Banks to search the north-west passage,
and to attempt to reach the Pole. The former was the objective of
John Ross in the _Isabella_ and W. E. Parry in the _Alexander_,
while in the Polar exploration John Franklin sailed in the _Trent_.
Both expeditions were unsuccessful, though Ross and Parry confirmed
Baffin's discoveries. Notwithstanding this, two expeditions were
sent two years later to attempt the north-west passage, one by land
under Franklin, and the other by sea under Parry. Parry managed
to get half-way across the top of North America, discovered the
archipelago named after him, and reached 114 deg. West longitude, thereby
gaining the prize of L5000 given by the British Parliament for
the first seaman that sailed west of the 110th meridian. He was
brought up, however, by Banks Land, while the strait which, if he
had known it, would have enabled him to complete the north-west
passage, was at that time closed by ice. In two successive voyages,
in 1822 and 1824, Parry increased the detailed knowledge of the
coasts he had already discovered, but failed to reach even as far
westward as he had done on his first voyage. This somewhat discouraged
Government attempts at exploration, and the next expedition, in
1829, was fitted out by Mr. Felix Booth, sheriff of London, who
despatched the paddle steamer _Victory_, commanded by John Ross.
He discovered the land known as Boothia Felix, and his nephew,
James C. Ross, proved that it belonged to the mainland of America,
which he coasted along by land to Cape Franklin, besides determining
the exact position of the North Magnetic Pole at Cape Adelaide, on
Boothia Felix. After passing five years within the Arctic Circle,
Ross and his companions, who had been compelled to abandon the
_Victory_, fell in with a whaler, which brought them home.

We must now revert to Franklin, who, as we have seen, had been
despatched by the Admiralty to outline the north coast of America,
only two points of which had been determined, the embouchures of
the Coppermine and the Mackenzie, discovered respectively by Hearne
and Mackenzie. It was not till 1821 that Franklin was able to start
out from the mouth of the Coppermine eastward in two canoes, by
which he coasted along till he came to the point named by him Point
Turn-again. By th