Chap. IV. PARRY'S FIRST VOYAGE. 89 



covered eleven years after this, by Commander 

 James Ross, and which is only about two or three 

 degrees " from the meridian of 100° W. of Green- 

 wich." 



" It would undoubtedly have been extremely interesting 

 to obtain such an observation, and in any other than the 

 very precarious navigation in which we were now engaged, 

 I should have felt it my duty to devote a certain time to this 

 particular purpose; but, under present circumstances, it 

 was impossible for me to regret the cause which alone had 

 prevented it, especially as the importance to science of this 

 observation was not sufficient to compensate the delay which 

 the search after such a spot would necessarily have occa- 

 sioned, and which could hardly be justified at a moment 

 when we were making, and for two or three days continued 

 to make, a rapid and unobstructed progress towards the 

 accomplishment of our principal object."— p. 62. 



It may now be said it was well he did not, as the 

 spot, since discovered by Commander Ross, was 

 then, as it probably still is, unapproachable by 

 such ships as those of Parry. 



On the 1st of September Parry inserts in his 

 narrative a table showing a daily abstract of the 

 monthly meteorological journals, consisting of 

 columns indicating the temperature of the air and 

 the sea, state of the barometer, prevailing winds, 

 and prevailing weather ; and in this form a tabular 

 series is repeated on the 1st of every month. From 

 the one in question it appears that the mean tempe- 

 rature in August was, in the shade, 33° 67', on sea- 

 water 31° 93'. It would be desirable that such a 



