382 Notices respecting New Books. 



sounded with the deep sea clamms, and found 1050 futhoms by 

 the line ; but as, where the soundings exceed five or six hun- 

 dred fathoms, there is some uncertainty, Captain Parry sup- 

 poses the actual depth to have been from eight to nine hundred 

 fathoms. Sir George Hope's monument, which had been thought 

 an island in the former voyage, was now discovered to be a dark- 

 looking and conspicuous hill on the main land. On the 30th, 

 the Heda had gained somewhat on the Griper, and was in lat. 

 74° 25' 3 1 ■', long. 80° 04' 30". Of the enthusiasm which now 

 animated the crew. Captain Parry thus speaks : 



' Being favoured, at length, by the easterly breeze which was 

 bringing up the Griper, and for which we had long been looking 

 with mucli patience, a crowd of sail was set, to carry us with all 

 rapidity to the westward. It is more easy to imagine than de- 

 scribe the almost breathless anxiety which was now visible in 

 every countenance, while, as the breeze increased to a fresh gale, 

 we ran (piicklv up the sound. The mast-heads were crowded 

 by the officers and men during the whole afternoon ; and an un- 

 coiicerued observer, if any could have been unconcerned on such 

 an occasion, would have been amused by the eagerness with which 

 the various reports from the crow's nest were received ; all, how- 

 ever, hitherto favourable to our most sanguine hopes.' 



On the following dav, they came near two inlets, in lat. 74" 

 15' 53" N. long. 86" 30' 30" ; these they named Burnet's Inlet 

 and Stratton Inlet. The cliffs on this part of the coast present 

 a singular appearance, being stratified horizontally, and having 

 a number of regular projecting masses of rock, broad at the bot- 

 tom, and corning to a point at the top, resembling so many but- 

 tresses raised by art at equal intervals. Some islands, to which 

 the name of Prince Leopold was given, were also stratified hori- 

 zontally, but without the buttress-hke projections. 



From the time that Capt. Parry first entered Lancaster's Sound, 

 the sluggishness of the compasses, as well as the amount of their ir- 

 regularity, had been found to increase rapidly though uniformly. 

 The irregularity became more and more obvious as they advanced 

 to the southward. By observation they found, that when the true 

 course of the Mecla was about S.S.W., the binnacle and azimuth 

 comj)asses at the same time agreed in showing N.N.W. f W., 

 making the variation to be allowed on that course, eleven points 

 and a half westerly. It was evident, therefore, that a very ma- 

 terial change had taken place in the dip or the variation, or in 

 both these pluenoinena, which rendered it probable that they 

 were making a very near approach to the magnetic pole. 



* We now, therefore,' says Captain Parry, ' witnessed, for the 

 first time, the curious phienomcnon of the directive power of the 

 nccdic becoming so v.'eak as to be completely overcome by the 



attraction 



