236 Arctic and Antai'ctic Exploration [part i 
observations, and had deduced from them the position of 
the magnetic pole. After the second winter he com- 
menced his journey to the exact spot with Blanky and 
Abernethy, and accompanied by Captain Ross as far as 
the western sea. On the 31st May, 1831, the party arrived 
at their destination. They discovered some abandoned 
snow huts which they found very useful. The land was 
low near the coast, rising into ridges of 50 or 60 feet 
about a mile inland. The dip of the needle was 89 0 59' 
and there was total inaction of the horizontal needle. 
The British flag was fixed at the magnetic pole in 
70 0 5' 17" N. and 76 0 16' 4" W. Leaving Blanky with the 
party, James Ross and Abernethy went on, and at their 
furthest point found the coast line still running north. 
Here they built a cairn of stones. In returning to the 
ship they were detained by a gale, and did not reach it 
until the 13th of June, an absence of 17 days. A large 
supply of fish had been secured during the summer. 
During the three summer seasons it had never been 
possible to get the Victory clear of the ice. She left Felix 
Harbour only to be driven into another hard by, which 
was named Victory Harbour. A third winter was ap- 
proaching, and it thus became evident that it would be 
absolutely necessary to abandon the ship and retreat to 
Fury Beach in the ensuing summer. After the third 
winter preparations were accordingly made for a retreat, 
and on May 29th, 1832, the ship was abandoned. They 
travelled on, going round every bay and inlet owing to 
the roughness of the ice outside. James Ross with a 
sledge crew of the strongest men, Abernethy and Park, 
pushed on to Fury Beach, and returned with supplies of 
food for the sick and weak. On July 1st they all arrived 
at Fury Beach, and a house was built for the winter. 
There were plenty of birds, 50 dovekies being shot on 
the 7th, and 100 on the 17th. 
At Fury Beach they found three of the Fury's boats, 
and Captain Ross and his nephew, with selected crews, 
proceeded in them to see the state of the ice in Lancaster 
Sound. They got as far as Leopold Harbour, and on 
September 2nd Captain Ross climbed the hill on the 
south side, about 600 feet high, but could see nothing 
but closely-packed ice. Returning, they left the boats 
