OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 297 



in-shore to pick up one of her men that had been left there to procure game, ^^--• 

 and tlie Fury stood towards tlie margin of the ice. v-^-v-**^" 



Just before we reached the edge of the floe the weather continuing ex- 

 tremely thick with hard rain, I desired Mr. Crozier to set the extremes of 

 tlie loom hanging over Igloolik, Avhich was then on our lee quarter. He ac- 

 cordingly did so, but presently afterwards remarked that the compasses, 

 (both Walkers azimuth and Alexander's steering,) indicated the ship's 

 head to be S.W., which was about the middle point on which, but a few 

 minutes before, he had set the loom of the land two or three points abaft 

 the beam. Knowing, by the true direction in which we were sailing, 

 that the ship's course by the compass, if unaffected by any foreign local 

 attraction, should have been about east, which in fact the needles had in- 

 dicated previous to the change remarked by Mr. Crozier, I tried what tap- 

 ping with the hand, the usual expedient in cases of mere sluggishness, 

 would do, but without producing any effect. Being now obliged to tack 

 for the ice, we carefully watched the compasses in standing oft", and having 

 sailed about a quarter of a mile observed them both gradually return to 

 their correct position. Being thus satisfied that .some extraordinary local at- 

 traction was influencing the needles, we again tacked to repeat the experi- 

 ment, and with a nearly similar result. The observations Avere then continued 

 on one or two successive tacks, the ship being steadily steered upon a 

 given point by some object a-head ; and an account of the whole is here 

 subjoined in one connected view. The observations were made between 

 six and nine P.M., the wind being moderate at east, (true,) the weather 

 very rainy, the soundings fifty-two fathoms, and the nearest land distant 

 from six to eight miles. The space sailed over during the time the clianges 

 were taking place did not exceed a quarter of a mile. 



Starboard tack, compasses first indicating the ship's head East, then changed to SW. 



Larboard , NWbN . . SW^W. 



Starboard ...... East . . SSE. 



Bore away to endeavour to cross our original track. 



XI 1 » 1 "1 Alexander's compass 

 Larboard tack >„. „ . '^ 



J Walkers 



Starboard ,, both compasses 



^ , , 1 Alexander's 



Larboard „ \. , 



} W alker s . . . 



