572 WHALE-FISHERY. 



east side, he ^vill have soundings in 70 or 80 fa- 

 tiioms, fine sand, or sand and shells, midway between 

 Shetland and Norway; coarser soundings, with some 

 increase of dept^i nearer to Shetland ; and no bottom 

 at 120 fathoms, witliin sight of the Norway land. 

 The circumstance, therefore, of obtaining soundings, 

 is the general criterion of being in east longitude ; 

 and of finding no bottom, of being to the westward 

 of Shetland in west longitude. 



In the year 1812, I steered into the latitude of 

 60°, in longitude by lunar observation about 3^* W. 

 As a matter of curiosity, I tried for soundings, and, 

 to my great surprise, found bottom in 78 fathoms. 

 Had I not had the greatest confidence in my lunar 

 observation, (especially as wc had left Greenland with- 

 out obtaining any departure, and without having seen 

 land for two months previous,) I should, undoubted- 

 ly, have steered a south-westerly course, which would 

 have run us to the westward of Scotland. IVIy mate, 

 and some other experienced officers on board, felt 

 assured that we were to the eastward of Shetland. 

 Such, however, was my confidence that we were to 

 the westward, that we sailed 18 miles to the east- 

 ward, struck soundings in 45 fathoms, rocks and 

 shells, and then 20 miles farther on an E. by S. 

 course, when our soundings w ere CO fathoms, shells. 

 Tlie weather had previously been clear, but it was. 

 now dark. On calculating from my lunar observa- 

 tion the position of the sliip, the island of Fula ap- 

 peared to be at the distance of 10 miles, bearing 



