usual oceanic colour, and by a long swell which
was rolling in from the southward and eastward." The first circumstance
that threw a damp over their sanguine expectations, was the discovery of
land a-head; they were however renewed by ascertaining that this was only a
small island: but though the insurmountable obstacle of a land termination
of the sound was thus removed, another appeared in its place; as they
perceived that a floe of ice was stretched from the island to the northern
shore. On the southern shore, however, a large inlet was discovered, ten
leagues broad at its entrance, and as no land could be seen in the line of
its direction, hopes were excited that it might lead to a passage into the
Polar Sea, freer from ice than the one above described. At this period of
the voyage a singular circumstance was remarked: during their passage down
Sir James Lancaster's Sound, the compass would scarcely traverse, and the
ship's iron evidently had great influence over it: both these phaenomena
became more apparent and powerful, in proportion as their westerly course
encreased. When they were arrived in the latitude of 73 deg., the directive
power of the needle became so weak, that it was completely overcome by the
attraction of the iron in the ship, so that the needle might now be said
to point to the north pole of the ship. And by an experiment it was found,
that a needle suspended by a thread, the movements of which were of course
scarcely affected by any friction, always pointed to the head of the ship,
in whatever direction it might be.

To this inlet, which Captain Parry was now sailing down, he gave the name
of the Prince Regent. The prospect was still very flattering: the width
increased as they proceeded, and the land inclined more and more to the
south-westward. But their expectations were again destroyed: a floe of ice
stretched to the southward, beyond which no sea was to be descried. Captain
Parry therefore resolved to return to the wide westerly passage which he
had quitted. On the 22d of August, being in longitude 92-1/4 deg., they opened
two fine channels, the one named after the Duke of Wellington; this was
eight leagues in width, and neither land nor ice could be seen from the
mast head though the weather was extremely clear; this channel tended to
the N.N.W. The other stretched nearly west: and though it was not so open,
yet as it was more directly in the course which it was their object to
pursue, it was