TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 49 
flocks of eider ducks (Anas Malissima, Lin.) flying 
to the eastward. 
Saturday, \7ih. — We made fast this afternoon to 
a floe of ice, where we remained for a while, which 
afforded us anopportunity of making some magnetic 
and other observations. In order to make sure of 
our being clear of the influence of the ships upon the 
compasses, the observations were made at least a 
quarter of a mile from either of them. The variation 
at this place was found by the mean. of several azi- 
muths, to be 81° westerly, and the dip, or vertical 
inclination of the needle, 84° 6’. The latitude of 
the place of observation (reckoning from noon) was 
72° N., and longitude, by sights taken for the chro- 
nometers at the time, 60° 5’ W. We found, on dif- 
ferent parts of the ice which we walked over this after- 
noon, large quantities of earth and gravel; this is, 
however, such a common thing, that it hardly de- 
serves to be mentioned, for scarcely a day ever 
passes without our seeing either stones or earth on 
some of the floes amongst which we are. 
Monday, 19th. — The weather for some days past 
has been very foggy, which, I think, is in some mea- 
sure owing to our being so far from the land; for I 
observed last year, when we were detained for some 
days at Waygat Island, that there was very often a 
thick fog over the surface of the sea at some distance 
from the land; whilst over the land itself, and along 
the coast, for a space of two or three leagues from 
it, there was commonly a fine clear sky. Paradox- 
ical as it may appear, yet we find, that although the 
weather is in general so cold that the fog freezes on 
the rigging, the ice is undergoing dissolution very 
rapidly, for on most of the floes we observe large 
K 
