Such
an opening, however, could not be found; but by coasting southward, along
the west side of Baffin's Bay, Captain Parry convinced himself that there
are other passages into Prince Regent's Inlet, besides that by Lancaster
Sound. The farthest point in the Polar sea reached in this voyage was
latitude 71 deg. 26' 23", and longitude 113 deg. 46' 43:5". On the 26th of
September they took a final leave of the ice, and about the middle of
November they arrived in the Thames.
In every point of view this voyage was extremely creditable to Captain
Parry; it is not surpassed by any for the admirable manner in which it was
conducted, for the presence of mind, perseverance, and skill of all the
arrangements and operations. It has also considerably benefited all those
branches of science to which the observations and experiments of Captain
Ross and his companions were directed, and to which we have already
adverted. Perhaps in no one point has it been of more use to mariners, than
in proving the minute accuracy of going to which chronometers have been
brought.
As this expedition very naturally encouraged the hope that a north-west
passage existed, and might be discovered and effected, and as Captain Parry
was decidedly of this opinion, government very properly resolved to send
him out again; he accordingly sailed in the spring of the year following
that of his return.
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