74 REMARKABLE STATE 



1824. the place assigned to Southampton Island, 

 Aiig^ust. with regular soundings between seventy and 

 fifty fathoms. At midnight the wind came 

 fresh from the westward with rain, and as I 

 feared running over a spot where land is laid 

 down as having been discovered, I lay to until 

 day-break of the 31st. It was now for the 

 first time that I observed, in changing the ship's 

 head from north (compass) N.w.b.N. (true) 

 and rounding to port, all the compasses 

 changed inversely, N.b.E., north-east to E.b.N. : 

 at which point the ship's head remained while 

 hove to all night, although the wind was un- 

 changed from south-west ; thus shewing, as 

 her head was m fact w.n.w., a deviation of 

 fifteen points westerly, with this direction in- 

 creasing gradually as she came round from 

 north by compass. 



At four A.M. on the 31st, I kept away to 

 starboard, and the compasses remained quite 

 steady until we had fallen off about four points, 

 all then flew round at the same moment, and 

 when by the pole-star her head was N.w.b.N., 

 all again pointed north most correctly as they 

 had done before. These extraordinary changes 

 in the deviation of the needle could not fail 

 to cause me great anxiety during the long and 

 dark nights, as I was unable, unless our head 



