DEVIATION OF COMPASS. £>5 



in fact we had been embayed. However, we 

 must have passed between the islands during the 

 night, though how, or in what direction remained 

 a mystery ; and we were thankful, as we had 

 reason to be, for our happy guidance among 

 them. In' the afternoon the sky became more 

 clear; and it was then apparent, that though un- 

 der a press of sail, we could not stem the current, 

 which at that time (7 11 p. m.) was carrying us 

 bodily away to the south and east. The variation 

 of the compass with the ship's head N. W. was 

 found to be six and a half points, but when 

 N.E. only three and a half. At 10 h p. m. we 

 were to leeward of our afternoon's position, 

 and stood in again for the main. 



After beating about between Mill Islands and 

 the north shore all night, we found ourselves in 

 the morning, the 16th, still to leeward of the 

 former, and utterly unable to make head against 

 the current. Near noon, being then within a 

 mile of the shore, we could perceive a strong 

 race, within which was an eddy sweeping the 

 ice about in a furious manner. At the line of 

 its junction with the regular tide there was a fall 

 produced of at least three or four feet, which 

 hid all but the upper surface of the ice near it. 

 My object had been to get close in shore, from 

 an impression that we should be less opposed by 

 the current there than further out j but, as either 



E 4 



