PRELIMINARY CHAPTER, 11 



exact direction of its course to the wreck of 

 the Fury, it was still thought, in our uncertainty 

 of the precise place where the Thlew-ee-choh- 

 desseth might fall into the sea, that the coast line 

 between Point Turnagain and the known land 

 to the eastward might be satisfactorily ascer- 

 tained, and thus another step made towards the 

 determination of that interesting problem — the 

 northern limits of America. 



For all these purposes, I was provided 

 with a variety of astronomical instruments, 

 including a dipping needle by Dollond, and a 

 diurnal variation instrument by Jones ; which 

 latter was also to be used to obtain the 

 effect produced on the needle by the aurora 

 borealis. I had also one of Professor Han- 

 steen's instruments, besides three chronometers 

 lent by the Admiralty. Guns and other neces- 

 sary materials were furnished by the Committee ; 

 who, that nothing might be omitted which 

 could at all contribute to our comfort, ordered 

 also a plentiful provision of cocoa and macaroni, 

 than which few things are better suited to such 

 undertakings, and of which such was our eco- 

 nomical expenditure, that some portion even 

 returned with us to Montreal. 



His most gracious Majesty, the patron of the 

 expedition, having commanded my attendance 

 at Brighton, I had the honour to explain the 



