August, Captain Parry and Mr. Rosa landed at the northern extremity of Southampton Island, where they obtained good observations by the moon and stars. The latitude by two meridian altitudes was 65° 28' 13"; the longitude, by chronometers, 84° 40' 07"; and the variation of the magnetic needle 50° 18' 26" westerly. Next morning, they ascended a hill about 1000 feet high, and from thence discovered a magnificent bay, which was named after the Duke of York, in consequence of the ships having first entered it on the birth-day of His Royal Highness. The remainder of the season was spent in satisfactorily determining the non-existence of a passage to the westward, either through Repulse Bay or any of the openings to the eastward of that great inlet. On the 8th October, the formation of young ice upon the surface of the water began most decidedly to put a stop to the navigation of these seas, and warned the voyagers that the season of active operations was nearly at an end.
“In reviewing the events of this season,” says Captain Parry, “and considering what process we had made towards the attainment of our main object, it was impossible, however trifling that progress might appear upon the chart, not to experience considerable satisfaction. Small as our actual advance had been towards Behring’s Strait, the extent of coast newly discovered and minutely explored in pursuit of our object, in the course of the last eight weeks, amounted to more than 200 leagues, nearly half of which belonged to the continent of North America. This service, notwithstanding our constant exposure to the risks which intricate, shoal, and unknown channels, a sea loaded with ice, and a rapid tide, concurred in presenting, had providentally been effected without injury to the ships, or suffering to the officers and men; and we had now once more met with tolerable security for the season,” at a small island, to the eastward of the “Frozen Strait,” discovered, and so named, by Middleton, just 79 years before the Fury and Hecla passed through it almost without impediment. “Above all,” continues Captain Parry, “I derived the most sincere satisfaction from a conviction of having left no part of the coast from Repulse Bay eastward in a state of doubt as to its connexion with the continent.”
From this period until July 2, 1822, the ships were frozen up close to each other, and occupations and amusements, similar to those of the preceding voyage, were resorted to. Captain Lyon undertook to be the manager of the theatre,
