MAGNETIC OBSERVATIONS. 41 



was to the accomplishment of my plans, it was of 

 still greater moment to me to see Mr. Simpson 

 personally ; and, aware of the probability of our 

 passing each other unobserved, if I attempted to 

 hasten towards him in a canoe, I preferred the 

 alternative of remaining quietly at the establish- 

 ment, and so securing an interview which I so 

 ardently desired. 



To beguile the time, the stores were ex- 

 amined, and the few which the rain had damaged 

 were exposed to the sun, dried, and carefully 

 repacked. I also made a set of observations for 

 the dip. The result was 79° 12' # , making a 

 difference of 25 minutes from those taken on a 

 former occasion. The vibrations and dip were 

 ascertained alternately, according to the face of 

 the instrument; and all were satisfactory enough, 

 except needle No. 2. reversed, with the face of 

 the instrument east, when a considerable alter- 

 ation appeared both in the number of the vibra- 

 tions and the point at which the needle finally 

 rested. A second trial showed a similar discre- 

 pancy. The reason of this peculiarity I could 

 not divine until about an hour afterwards, when 

 some gentlemen arrived from the westward, and 

 acquainted us that they had just encountered a se- 

 vere thunder shower, though the sky over the fort 



* The results are those given by the instrument, without 

 any correction for temperature. 



