68 Our North Land. 



north of the entrance from the mouth of Davis's Strait ; Big Island 

 on the north side of the Strait, close to the mainland, called North 

 Bluff; Charles Island about fifteen miles from its south shore, and 

 about the same distance north-west of Cape Weggs ; Salisbury, 

 about forty miles from the north-main coast, with Mills Island 

 twelve miles to the north-west of it, both at the mouth of Fox 

 Channel ; and Nottingham, near the centre of the Strait at the 

 entrance to Hudson's Bay. 



The smaller or group islands are the Buttons, about five miles 

 north of Cape Chidley ; Lower Savages, north-west of Resolution, 

 and between it and the north-main shore ; the Middle Savages and 

 Saddle Backs, lying close to the north main coast, about sixty miles 

 north-west of the Lower Savages, close to, and east of the Upper 

 Savages ; Big Island at the entrance to North Bay ; and the Digges 

 six miles west of Cape Wolstenholme, at the south side of the 

 entrance to Hudson's Bay. 



The water in the Strait is uniformly very deep ; between Reso- 

 lution and Cape Chidley it is three hundred fathoms. The centre 

 of the Strait to the west will average from two hundred to one 

 hundred and fifty fathoms, getting shallower as the entrance to 

 Hudson's Bay is reached. There are no shoals or dangerous reefs 

 to render navigation precarious. The same may practically be said 

 in regard to fogs and gales ; fogs occur, but are usually of short 

 duration. Heavy gales are of rare occurrence. In this respect the 

 Strait is in happy contrast with the ever-squally Labrador coast 

 The variation or error of the magnetic needle, in its application to 

 navigation to Hudson Strait, is as regular and reliable in its varia- 

 tion as in any part of the world. It is about 50° W. at Cape Chid- 

 ley, and at the entrance to Hudson's Bay, say at Nottingham Island, 

 about 55° W. There is no local magnetic force to interfere with one 

 navigating the centre of the Strait, and the compass, that is, the 

 patent Sir William Thompson compass, may be depended upon, but 

 the ordinary marine compass is practically worthless. This arises 

 from the close proximity of the Strait to the magnetic pole, on 

 account of which the directive force acting on the needle is greatly 

 diminished. 



