OP THE NORTH MAGNETIC POLE. 49 



whose rugged shores seemed to forbid the attempt, and to annihilate every hope of its 

 accomplishment. The discovery of the Western Ocean, however, across a narrow neck 

 of land to the south-west, which occurred early the following spring, gave rise to a 

 small party being sent from the ship, to endeavour to trace the shores of the American 

 continent as far to the south-west or west as possible. On that occasion, owing to 

 the smallness of the party, it was found impracticable to carry more instruments than 

 were actually indispensable for determining the outline of the coast along which we 

 might pass. An azimuth compass, of Captain Kater s construction, was the only 

 magnetic instrument that could be taken, and this was, soon after leaving the ship, 

 destroyed by a fall over a precipice at Cape Isabella, soon after I had determined that 

 its north point was directed to the north-west. Its action was uncertain to eight or 

 ten degrees, owing to the extreme weakness of the directive force of the needle. 



Imperfect as this indication was, it seemed to cherish the hope of our being able to 

 obtain some interesting magnetic observations ; when having been compelled to pass 

 another winter near the same spot, I proposed to conduct a party, guided by some 

 Esquimaux, across the country to the westward, and to endeavour to approach as 

 near as possible to the source of magnetism. We accordingly commenced our journey 

 in the middle of May 1831 : but the unfavourable nature of the season prevented my 

 obtaining any observations that could be of assistance to us until we reached the 

 shores of the Western Ocean on the 28th of the month. Here good observations were 

 made under the most favourable circumstances ; and the magnetic dip having now 

 increased to 89° 41', and the horizontal needle pointing to N. 57° W., led us to expect 

 that, at the distance of about thirty-five miles in that direction, we should attain the 

 object of our wishes. That spot being now well within our reach, I did not hesitate 

 to devote the larger part of the day to repeating those observations, anticipating that, 

 after leaving that spot, little assistance could be expected from the horizontal needle 

 in directing our approach to the magnetic pole. Having gained the calculated posi- 

 tion on the 1st of June, without having been able, from the unfavourable state of the 

 weather, during that interval, to obtain any more observations, I availed myself of 

 the snow huts of a recently deserted Esquimaux village as observatories, and en- 

 camped the party at a sufficient distance to ensure their being beyond the possibility 

 of producing any influence on the needles, &c. 



My attention was first of all directed to ascertain, if possible, the direction of the 

 magnetic meridian. For this purpose I suspended horizontally the needle that was 

 used only for the determination of the intensity of the magnetic force, first by three 

 or four delicate fibres of floss silk. It remained, however, exactly in the position in 

 which it was placed. A single fibre of the floss silk was next tried, and lastly a single 

 fibre of flax. All these failing to demonstrate the smallest amount of horizontal 

 attraction, a second needle was treated in a similar manner, and in all these attempts 

 I was equally unsuccessful. The top of the instrument being so constmcted as to 

 admit of a half-circle of torsion, this was next tried ; but the needle was moved from 



MDCCCXXXIV. H 



