72 REMARKABLE STATE 



1824. of its true position. Its latitude is as correct 

 August, as could be expected, and is by a meridian al- 

 titude of Mirza, under the pole^ 61° 50' 35. 

 The longitude by sights of a Lyra is 84° 2' 15''. 

 We stood on all day N.w.b.N., still keeping the 

 ship a couple of points free, to prevent her 

 driving bodily to leeward, which she did when- 

 ever she had not steerage-way. Our sound- 

 ings continued regular between forty and fifty 

 fathoms ; and no land was seen, so that I was 

 in hopes we had at last entered " The Wel- 

 come." Our noon lat. 62° 14' 38", and long. 

 84° 29 ' 54 ', placed us exactly on Southampton 

 Island, and two degrees eastward of Cape 

 Southampton of the charts. 



In the forenoon watch our larboard compass, 

 which with two others had shewn our head 

 N.b.w., (which with three points and a half 

 westerly variation, agreed with the sun's bear- 

 ing in giving a n.w.Jw. course,) suddenly 

 pointed e.n.e., and no tapping or motion 

 would keep it at any other point for two or 

 three minutes, after which it as suddenly re- 

 covered its agreement with the others, and 

 continued quite correct. We now, from re- 

 peated observations, discovered, that when our 

 head was nearly north by compass, the devia- 

 tion was three points and a-halfwest, but when 



