160 ON THE EFFECTING OF 



pastors are much counteracted by the abandoned habits of 

 the convicts, who intermarry with the natives ; and, as the 

 latter now are convinced, endeavour to debase the national 



merit of a circle, having- its centre towards the zenith : this curve 

 became reversed as the radiation dispersed, the centre then being 

 towards the horizon : the wind blew a fresh breeze from that point 

 after an interval of nearly four hours : in this part of the Strait 

 the wind is very variable, and seldom of long duration : at mid- 

 night the sun just reached the horizon, shrouded in a deep brown 

 mantle of ciiTostratus, with a rich reddish-brown border next the 

 water; above and around were beautiful exhibitions of cirrocumulus 

 and cirrus, some retaining their forms for a long time, and others 

 imperceptibly interchanging shapes : the moon appeared distinctly at 

 a great elevation in the N. W.* It is remarked among the whalers, 

 that when the moon appears in those latitudes, it is a sure indication 

 of foul weather : in the present case, however, this assm-ance was 

 found to be incoiTCct. 



May 21 : ther. 39°, 42°, 32° : wind perfectly calm : morning de- 

 lightfully fine, such as would appear most charming to the senses, 

 if the beauties of vegetation were added to the scene : sun-light in- 

 tensely bright : not a speck of cloud to be seen : Disko in the dis 

 tance unclouded : packs of ice all around : the whale boats busy in 

 every dii-ection, a few of what are called " straggUng fish " having 

 appeared : the whales so seen were running rapidly in many di- 



* All bearings mentioned in this journal are by compass. 



