DISCOVERY OF NORTHWEST PASSAGE 311 



a grind-stone) the needle will, of its own accord, assume a slanting position, if 

 its plane of rotation coincides with the direction indicated by the compass. * * * 

 At the magnetic north pole, the dipping needle will assume a vertical position, 

 with its north point directed downwards; at the magnetic south pole it will 

 stand vertically with its south point downwards." 



The Gjoa as anchored in the "fine little harbor," which they named Gjoa- 

 havn September 12, 1903, and remained there until August 13, 1905. A house 

 was built, in which two of the party pursued scientific observations, acquaintance 

 was made with the Eskimos of the region, and much exploratory work was done. 

 A trip was made to Boothia, where the magnetic pole is situated, and two of 

 Amundsen's men made a sledge journey along the eastern coast to Victoria 

 Land, charting much new land, and traveling 800 miles. But these pursuits 

 came to an end, and when the season for propitious travel was fairly on, the 

 Gjoa was headed westward for the climax of the journey. She was man- 

 euvered successfully through the narrowest portion of the passage, south of King 

 William's Land, and pushed on into channels whose navigability was yet to 

 be tested. On through Deas Strait and Coronation Gulf the little motor-vessel 

 held her course, and scarcely a mishap marred the successful journey. 



Describing the most "ticklish" part of the trip, Amundsen says: 



"The channel now ceased and branched off in the shape of a narrow sound 

 between some small rocks. The current had probably formed this channel. The 

 passage was not very inviting, but it was our only one, and forward we must go. 



"As we turned westward, the soundings became more alarming, the figures 

 jumped from seventeen to five fathoms, and vice versa. From an even, sandy 

 bottom we came to a ragged, stony one. We were in the midst of a most discon- 

 certing chaos ; sharp stones faced us on every side, low-lying rocks of all shapes, 

 and we bungled through zigzag, as if drunk. The lead flew up and down, down 

 and up, and the man at the helm had to pay very close attention and keep his 

 eye on the lookout man, who jumped about in the crow's nest like a maniac, 

 throwing his arms about for starboard and port respectively, keeping on the 

 move all the time to watch the track. Now I see a big shallow extending from 

 one islet right over to the other. We must get up to it and see. The anchors 

 were clear to drop, should the water be too shallow, and we proceeded at a 

 very slow rate. I was at the helm, and kept shuffling my feet out of sheer 

 nervousness. We barely managed to scrape over. In the afternoon things got 

 worse than ever; there was such a lot of stones that it was just like sailing 

 through an uncleared field. Though chary of doing so, I was now compelled to 



