fifty miles from the
entrance of the sound, which was fully fifty miles in breadth. The
_Griper_, which had fallen astern, joining the _Hecla_, they together
reached latitude 86 degrees 30 minutes, when two other inlets were
discovered, and named Burnet and Stratton; and then a bold headland, to
which the name of Fellfoot was given. A lengthened swell rolling in
from the north and west, gave them hopes that they had now really
reached the wide expanse of the polar basin, and that nothing would stop
their progress to Icy Cape, the western boundary of America.

While their hopes were at the highest land ahead was seen, but it proved
only to be a small island. Very soon afterwards more land was seen,
with a broad inlet, named Maxwell Bay. Still the sea stretched out
uninterruptedly before them, but their hopes fell when, in a short time,
they saw to the south a line of continuous ice.

Shortly afterwards an open passage appeared, through which it was hoped
the ships would make their way westward. On proceeding on, however, the
explorers discovered, to their sorrow, that this ice was joined to a
compact and impenetrable body of floes, completely crossing the channel.
They had therefore to haul their wind and stand away from it, for fear
of being caught in the ice, along the edges of which a violent surf was
beating.

As soon as the weather, which had been thick, became clear, an open sea,
with a dark water sky, was seen to the south. In the hopes that this
might lead to a passage, unencumbered with ice, the commander steered
for it, and shortly reached the mouth of a large inlet, ten leagues
broad, with no visible termination. The names of Clarence and Seppings
were given to the two capes at its entrance.

Avoiding the ice on one side, the ships entered a broad open channel.
The coast was dreary in the extreme, while the irregularity of the
compass showed that they were approaching the magnetic pole, and
increased the difficulties of navigation. They had run one hundred and
twenty miles up this inlet, to which the name of Prince Regent was
given, when the ice was found extending across it. Standing out of it,
Parry steered across the channel, until he came off another broad inlet,
leading north, which was called Wellington Inlet.

The great channel through which they were passing was called Barrow
Straits, in compliment to the promoter of the expedition. The wind
again becoming favourable, the ship sailed tr