Having completed the survey of the north side of the Hudson Strait, the Discovery stood over to the eastern coast of Southampton Island, reaching a point which was given the name of Cape Comfort. Here the various signs were again watched for any evidence of a passage by the ice-laden sea to the north-west. Baffin’s conclusion that there is no passage by what is now called Frozen Strait was based on the increased quantity of ice, the water becoming less deep, and the sight of land bearing N.E. by E., circumstances which led him to suppose that he was at the entrance of a wide bay. He, therefore, relinquished the enterprise so far as this route was concerned. Sir Edward Parry felt a warm sympathy for the efforts of his distinguished predecessor, and in 1821 he named an island Baffin Island near Cape Comfort, “out of respect to the memory of that able and enterprising navigator.” He also named a headland on Southampton Island Cape Bylot, as being probably the westernmost point seen from the Discovery in that July of 1615.
On the 29th July the Discovery was anchored off Cape Digges, and the men succeeded in killing 70 birds “which are called willocks” (looms), for there are such numbers that “in few places else the like is to be seen.”
Nothing remarkable took place during the voyage home, and the Discovery arrived safely at Plymouth all well, and without the loss of man or boy. It was a well-conducted expedition, made memorable by Baffin’s scientific observations. We have the tabulated log kept by Baffin during the voyage, his report and journal, and the manuscript chart drawn by himself. Besides numerous observations for latitude and 27 for variation of the compass, he took the first lunar ever observed at sea.
Baffin’s report to the Merchant Adventurers was that he considered a passage by way of Hudson Strait to be doubtful, but he was of opinion that there was a passage and that it must be by Davis Strait. Accepting the opinion of so high an authority, the five leading adventurers, Sir Thomas Smith, Sir Dudley Digges, Sir Francis Jones, Sir John Wolstenholme, and Sir James Lancaster patriotically resolved to send an expedition by way of Davis Strait. The Discovery was once more got ready, with Mr Allwyn Cary, who had fitted her out for her former voyage, as ship’s husband. Old Bylot was again Master and this time Baffin’s rating was that of pilot. Seventeen men formed the crew.
On the 26th March, 1616, the little Discovery left Gravesend on her fifth polar voyage. She encountered strong westerly gales and sought shelter in Dartmouth for 11 days, and for a day in Plymouth, but at last she got fairly on her voyage. The first land that was sighted was the coast of Greenland at Cockayne Sound, but Baffin did not stop, pressing onwards until he reached Hare Island to the north of Disco in 70° 26′ N. On the last day of April, Hope Sanderson, the furthest point of Davis, was reached, and next day the progress of the Discovery was checked by heavy floes. Anchorage was found near some islands whence the native men fled, but some girls were left behind and received help from the explorers, so Baffin gave the name of “Women Islands” to the group. One of the islands is now the Danish station of Upernavik in 72° 48′ N. Kingitok, the most northern station, is in 72° 55′ N.
Baffin, knowing nothing of the ice movements, attempted to force his way through the middle pack, a very risky and perilous course to take. As the ship was forced onwards between the floes, they got closer and closer “until we could see no place to put in the ship’s head.” Then the able navigator wisely stood in towards the shore, and anchored off Cape Shackleton among many islands in 73° 45′. Here Eskimos came in their kayaks to barter, with seal-skins and the horns of narwhals, and the place was accordingly named Horn Sound. They stayed there for six days, making sail again on the 18th of May. Fortunately 1616 was a remarkably open year and the Discovery sailed across Melville Bay in two days. Two hundred and thirty-four years afterwards it took the writer forty days.
Baffin was now in the open water to the north of the bay, formed by the drifting of ice to the south. Many narwhals were noticed, and on the 2nd July the ship was off a headland in 76° 35′ N. which received the name of “Sir Dudley Digges his Cape.” They then passed a sound with several bays and inlets, and an island forming two entrances, which was named Wolstenholme Sound. Passing onwards a gale began to blow from W. by S. which split their foresail, and when it cleared a little they found themselves embayed in a sound. Standing over to the south-east side, an anchor was let go, but both anchor and cable were lost. The wind blew with such fury that they could find no anchorage, and were obliged to stand off and on. In the afternoon the wind had less force and they stood out. Many whales were seen in the sound, so it received the name of Whale Sound, in 77° 30′ N.
Baffin then anchored off an island he named Hakluyt Island, between Sir Thomas Smith’s Sound to the north, and Whale Sound to the south, but it was such bad weather that the boat could not land. Of Sir Thomas Smith’s Sound, Baffin says that it runs to the north of 78° and that “it is admirable in one respect because in it is the greater variation of the compass of any part of the known world; for by divers good observations I found it to be above five points, or 56° variation to the westward.” “Also this sound seemeth to be good for the killing of whales, it being the greatest and largest in all the bays.”
It was blowing very hard when the Discovery left her anchorage off Hakluyt Island, and next day a group of islands was sighted which received the name of Cary Islands, after Mr Allwyn Cary, their ship’s husband. Baffin then stood over to the west side, and sighted land at the entrance of a sound which was named “Sir Francis Jones his Sound.” A boat was sent on shore, and the crew, on their return, reported that they saw many sea horses, but no signs of people. This was the only landing that was effected in the north part of the bay. On the 12th July the Discovery was off another great opening in 74° 20′ N. which was called “Sir James Lancaster’s Sound.”
