OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 255 



sides, where there was tlie larcrest collection of heavy masses of ^rounded ice '^^^• 

 that I ever saw in one place. In sounding near these, however, our boats ^-^-y-^ 

 never found less than five fathoms, and that by a regular decrease towards 

 the shore. 



For the first time since we had come on this coast, we found the ebb-tide 

 running full as strong as the flood, and setting more out from the land or to 

 the eastward than before. This latter alteration was probably occasioned 

 merely by a turn given it in running from the northward, between Cape 

 Wilson and the island, though at the time we were willing to hope that 

 it indicated some favourable turn in the land immediately beyond the Cape. 

 As we here lay without disturbance from the ice, a good opportunity was 

 afforded of observing the time of high and Ioav water compared with that of 

 the stream. The result of several observations all nearly agreeing is cer- 

 tainly a curious and uncommon one ; for we found that the water continued 

 to rise or fall from an hour and a half to an hovir and three-quarters after the 

 succeeding stream had commenced. Various other instances of similar ano- 

 malies in the phenomena of the tides upon this part of the American coast 

 were observed in the course of the following week's navigation. 



On the morning of the 6th, the Hecla appeared to be drifting farther to the Sat. 6. 

 S.W. than before ; but we did not know Avhether this might not be attributed 

 to the deception occasioned by a very extraordinary degree of refraction oc- 

 curring to-day in all objects near the horizon. For some hours her masts 

 seemed thrown up into one peaked body, like an immense steeple, and at 

 other times, she seemed altogether flattened down into the form of a low and 

 preposterously long ship without masts. The wind was light and several 

 times veered round the compass in the course of the day, with now and then 

 a little moist feeling in the atmosphere. 



The latitude of this place Wiis 06° 55' 58", the longitude, by chrono- 

 meters, being 81° 38' 43". Mr. Fisher found the dip of the magnetic needle 

 to be 87° 47' 13" and the variation was 62° 17' westerly. The opportunity 

 being a favourable one for obtaining the deviation of the needle on each 

 direction of the Fury's head, several hours were thus employed this after- 

 noon ; the observations are inserted in the proper table in the Appendix. 



Early on the morning of the 7th, when the ebb-tide had made very strong, Sun. 7. 

 a piece of the land-ice half a mile long suddenly broke oft* and drifted 

 away. The end of it being fortunately just clear of our bows, we had time 

 to sheer out of its way, or we should immediately have been carried among 



