formed by a point of land, on the eastern side, which I named Cape Eardley Wilmot; and on the western, by a bluff headland, which was called after Captain Tristram Robert Ricketts, R.N. As we advanced slowly to the westward, the land on which Cape Ricketts stands appeared to be nearly insular; and, immediately to the westward of it, we discovered a considerable opening, which we called Gascoyne’s Inlet. In the afternoon, the weather became very clear and fine, the wind light from the westward. As this latter circumstance rendered our progress very slow, the opportunity was taken to send boats on shore, for the purpose of making observations; and at the same time, a boat from each ship, under Lieutenants Beechey and Hoppner, was sent to examine a bay, at no great distance to the northward and westward of us. The first party landed at the foot of a bluff headland, which forms the eastern point of this bay, and which I named after my friend Mr. Richard Riley, of the Admiralty. They had scarcely landed ten minutes, when a fresh breeze sprung up from the eastward, and their signal of recall was immediately made. Lieutenant Beechey found that the land, which at this time formed the western extreme, and which lies on the side of the buy, opposite to Cape Riley, was insular; to which I, therefore^ gave the name of Beechey Island.
“As soon as the boats returned, all sail was made to the westward, where the prospect began to wear a more and more interesting appearance. We soon perceived, as we proceeded, that the land along which we were sailing, and which, with the exception of some small inlets, had appeared to be hitherto continuous from Baffin’s Bay, began now to trend much to the northward, beyond Beechey Island, leaving a large open space between that coast and the distant land to the westward, which now appeared like an island, of which the extremes to the north and south were distinctly visible. The latter was a remarkable headland, having at its extremity two small table hills, somewhat resembling boats turned bottom upwards, and was named Cape Hotham. At sunset, we had a clear and extensive view to the northward, between Cape Hotham and the eastern land. On the latter several headlands were discovered and named; between the northernmost of these, called Cape Bowden, and the island to the westward, there was a channel of more than eight leagues in width, in which neither land nor ice could be seen from the mast-head. To this noble channel I gave the name of Wellington. The arrival off it was an event for
