522 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. XI V. 



tions by which I ascertained that to be the exact 

 position of the magnetic pole.'' 



It must be considered most ungenerous, on the 

 part of Captain Ross, to detract, as he does in his 

 examination, from the merit of his nephew, who 

 alone deserves the credit of having fixed the point, 

 as near as is capable of being done, of the Western 

 Magnetic Pole. In his answers to the Committee 

 he never once considers Commander Ross as the sole 

 discoverer ; but would make it appear that every- 

 thing was done in his presence, and with his co- 

 operation : thus, for instance, he says, " we were 

 in a position where the compass had no power of 

 traversing — by continuing our observations, we 

 arrived at the spot — we passed round it — which- 

 ever way we passed it, as we passed round it, the 

 compass turned towards it horizontally." The 

 truth, however, was elicited at last. 



" How near were you yourself to the point of the Mag- 

 netic Pole? 



" I suppose I was within forty miles" 



And this, then, must have been the distance at 

 which we were walking round it. The Committee 

 might have had the sagacity of asking him how 

 long it took him in walking round the circuit of 

 one hundred and twenty miles ? They did ask him 

 another kind of question : — 



" Within what area do you conceive you have reduced 

 the situation of it ? 



" One mile." 



