8 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the outward projecting points of Hoy and Pomona, we entered at 

 once into the Atlantic, and commenced our voyage to Hudson's Bay 

 having the Eddystone, Wear, and Harmony Missionary brig in 



company. 



The comparisons of the chronometers this day indicated that 

 Arnold's Nos. 2148 and 2147, had slightly changed their rates since 

 they had been brought on board ; fortunately the rate of the former 

 seems to have increased nearly in the same ratio as the other has lost, 

 and the mean longitude will not be materially affected. 



Being now fairly launched into the Atlantic, I issued a general 

 memorandum for the guidance of the officers, during the prosecution 

 of the service on which we were engaged, and communicated to them 



■ 



the several points of information that were expected from us by my 

 instructions. I also furnished them with copies of the signals, which 

 had been agreed upon between Lieutenant Parry and myself, to be 

 used in the event of our reaching the northern coast of America, 



and falling in with each other. 



At the end of the month of June, our progress was found to have 

 been extremely slow, owing to a determined N.W. wind and much 

 sea. We had numerous birds hovering round the ship ; principally 

 fulmars (procellaria glacialis,) and shearwaters, (procellariapuffinus,) 

 and not unfrequently saw shoals of grampusses sporting about, which 

 the Greenland seamen term finners from their large dorsal fin. Some 

 porpoises occasionally appeared, and whenever they did, the crew 

 were sanguine in their expectation of having a speedy change in the 

 wind, which had been so vexatiously contrary, but they were disap- 

 pointed in every instance. 



Thursday, July 1. — The month of July set in more favourably ; 

 and, aided by fresh breezes, we advanced rapidly to the westward, 

 attended daily by numerous fulmars and shearwaters. The Mis- 

 sionary brig had parted company on the 2 2d of June. We passed 

 directly over that part of the ocean where the "Sunken L and of 



