TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 8 
a month later this year, it appears somewhat remark- 
able, that, without any preconcerted plan, it should 
happen to be the same day of the month on which 
we commence the second voyage. 
Thursday, 6th.— We received (from Woolwich) 
all our ordnance-stores to-day, except the powder, 
which is expected down to-morrow. 
To guard as much as possible against the magnetic 
influence of iron upon the compasses, a pair of brass 
guns (six pounders) have been sent for the quarter 
deck. After the guns and other stores were placed 
in the respective places where it is intended they are 
to remain, an experiment was performed for the pur- 
pose of ascertaining the effect of local attraction on 
the compasses; or, to use the term that has been 
lately adopted, to determine the deviation of the 
compass, or magnetic needle, with the ship’s head 
brought to the different points of the compass. As 
the result of this experiment may be better under- 
stood by a diagram of the operation than by words 
only, I have drawn a sketch of the whole process 
(see Appendix), which exhibits at one view the 
amount of deviation with the ship’s head on every 
point of the compass except west, W. by %., and 
W.S. W., the tide being so strong that the ship’s 
head could not be kept steady on these points. 
Friday, 7th.— We received our powder this morn- 
ing, and at two o’clock in the afternoon we cast off 
and made sail, but the wind being against us, we 
got no farther than that part of the river called the 
Lower Hope, where we anchored between four and 
five in the afternoon. 
We were agreeably surprised to-day to find that 
the Griper behaved so well under canvass; for the 
B 2 
