136 APPENDIX. 



'•' Notwithstanding the whole tenor of my ob- 

 servations, as well as those of Captain Flinders, led 

 me to believe that the cause of the variation must 

 exist in the ship ; yet I had great difficulty in com- 

 ing to a conclusion so remote from what had former- 

 ly been held to be truth ; and for that reason, dur- 

 ing our stay at St. Mary's, I took the opportunity 

 of making a decisive experiment on this subject. I 

 first went with the Azimuth compass to St. Agnes's 

 lighthouse, from which I set the flag-staff on St. 

 Mary's Castle, E. 31° N. I next went to St. 

 Mary's castle, and from it set the lighthouse W. 

 31° S. Finding these opposite bearings thus cor- 

 respond when on shore, I am fully persuaded the 

 cause of the differences observed when at sea, must 

 exist in the ship." 



After making these remarks on the variation of 

 the compass, he next goes on to make some obser- 

 vations, as they occurred in the voyage. 



" On the 16th of June, saw Bear, or Cherry 

 Island, which, at a distance, looks like a saddle, 

 both extremities being very high, aud the middle 

 low. It may be seen 20 leagues ofF in clear wea- 

 ther. At noon, it bore by compass, N. b E. \ E. 

 when I observed in 73° 44/ N. good observation, 

 and our chronometer gave good sights, 20° 3' E. 

 By seven P. M. we had run 33 miles on a N.N.W. 



