20 
VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 
1819. azimuths on board the Hecla, with her head on different points of the 
compass, in order to ascertain the amount of the irregularities of the magnetic 
needle produced by local attraction. These observations will be found in 
the Appendix, and, by comparison with those previously made at Northfleet, 
will serve to shew in what degree the irregularities alluded to had increased 
with the increase of dip, and with the consequent diminution in the 
directive power of the earth’s magnetism upon the needle. 
Sun. 25. The weather being clear on the morning of the 25th, and a few narrow 
lanes of water appearing to the westward, the Griper was made fast astern 
of the Hecla ; and her crew being sent to assist in manning our capstan, we 
proceeded to warp the ships through the ice. This method, which is often 
adopted by our whalers, has the obvious advantage of applying the whole 
united force in separating the masses of ice which lie in the way of the first 
ship, allowing the second, or even third, to follow close astern, with very 
little obstruction. In this manner we had advanced about four miles to the 
westward, by eight P.M., after eleven hours of very laborious exertion ; and 
having then come to the end of the clear water, and the weather being again 
foggy, the ships were secured in a deep “ bight,” or bay in a floe, called by 
the sailors a “ natural dock.” An extra allowance of meat and spirits was 
served to the ships’ companies, and all hands were permitted to go to rest 
till the state of the weather and of the ice should become more favourable. 
Mon. 26. Early on the morning of the 26th, there was clear water as far as we 
could see to the westward, which, on account of the fog, did not exceed the 
distance of three hundred yards. We made sail, however, and having 
groped our way for about half a mile, found the ice once more close in every 
direction, except that in which we had been sailing, obliging us to make 
the ships fast to a floe. I sent a boat away to endeavour to find a lane of 
clear water leading to the westward. She returned on board in an hour, 
without success, having with difficulty found her way to the ship, by our mus- 
quets, and other signals. The latitude here, by observation, was 73° 02' 17", 
long., by chronometers, 60° IT 52", by which the drift of the ice in the last 
twenty-four hours appears to have been N. T E., five miles and three 
quarters, or in a direction nearly opposite to that of the wind. The 
soundings were two hundred and eight fathoms, on a muddy bottom. 
At half-past three, P.M., the weather cleared up, and a few narrow lanes 
of water being seen to the westward, every exertion was immediately made 
to get into them. On beginning to heave, however, we found that the 
