NORTHERN OCEAN 95 



when, after refreshing ourselves with a plentiful supper, the 1770. 

 first morsel we had tasted that day, we retired to rest, which "^"^ ' 

 I at least enjoyed with better success than the preceding 

 night. 



In the morning of the eleventh we proceeded on to the nth. 

 West, and West by South ; but on the twelfth did not move. 

 This gave us an opportunity of endeavouring to ascertain the 

 latitude by a meridian altitude, when we found the place to be 

 in 63° 10'' North nearly. It proving rather cloudy about noon, 

 though exceeding fine weather, I let the quadrant stand, in 

 order to obtain the latitude more exactly by two altitudes ; but,, 

 to my great mortification, while I was eating my dinner, a 

 sudden gust of wind blew it down ; and as the ground where 

 it stood was [46] very stoney, the bubble, the sight-vane, and 

 vernier, were entirely broke to pieces, which rendered the 

 instrument useless. In consequence of this misfortune I 

 resolved to return again to the Fort, though we were then in 

 the latitude of 62,° 10' North, and about 10° 40' West longi- 

 tude from Churchill River.^ 



\} The position of the place where he broke his quadrant on the I2th of 

 August is difficult to determine either from the text or from his map. A point 

 in latitude 63" 10' north and longitude 10° 40' west from Churchill, which is the 

 position given in the text, is shown on his map almost in the centre of Dubawnt 

 Lake, and the map shows that after crossing the outlet of the lake his course 

 was at a considerable distance to the north-west and west from it. It is 

 probable therefore that his quadrant was broken on the great plain which lies 

 to the west of the lake, and north-west of the Dubawnt River above the lake.] 



