N 



102 



R E M A R K S 



O N 



T H E 



ICE. 



/ 



^ 



will aiTert truth, by which fcience will be benefited and human 

 knowledge enlarged. If on the contraiy, the arguments alledged in 

 behalf of my"^ailertions are found incontrovertible, they probably 

 v/ill give my arguments new fupport and ftrength, and place beyond 

 the reach of doubt, what I have endeavoured to hint at, as the only 

 truth. In either cafe, I have endeavoured to do my part, I have repre- 

 fented fads as they really occured to me, and on that account I hope 

 my prolixity will be lefs oifenfive. 



I might here have fubjoined many other particulars relative to the 

 ocean; I m'ight have given fome account of its currents, and of the 

 different conftitution of its bottom, where we had any foundings; 

 of the various tides ; and of the dipping and variation of the magnetical 

 needle; but I forbear to fpeak on thefe fubjeds, as they are partly the 

 objeds of the nautical obfervations, made by the officers of fliips fent 



if- 



on tkls expedition, which have been prefented to the Lords Commi 

 fioners of the Admiralty, and by their command are publilhed in Cap- 



F J 



tain Cook's nautical account; iand as the board of longitude, had 

 likewife charged two ailronomers, to make accurate obfervations on 

 magnetifm and the tides, it would therefore be very improper, to 

 attempt a bufinefs fo ably difcharged by others ; who with proper 

 inflruments for that purpofe, more leifure, and with more comm^and 

 of affiftance, had better opportunities of making more perfed ob- 

 fervations on thefe fubjeds. 



5 



CHAP 



X 



