OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
5 
hundred and thirty fathoms’ depth, was at the temperature of 48° on coming 1819. 
to the surface, that of the surface being 49°, and of the air 49°. Its specific 
gravity was 1.0266 at the temperature of 61°, being the same as that of the 
surface-water. 
The wind veered to the westward on the 30th, and increased to a fresh Sun. 30. 
gale, with an irregular sea, and heavy rain, which brought us under our 
close-reefed topsails. At half-past one, P.M., we began to cross the space 
in which the “ Sunken Land of Bus’’ is laid down in Steel’s chart from 
England to Greenland ; and, in the course of this and the following day, we 
tried for soundings several times without success, the ship’s position being 
as follows: 
LATITUDE. 
LONGITUDE. 
FATHOMS 
57° 
46' - - 
- - - 29° 
20' - 
- - - - 160 
57 
49 - - 
- - - 29 
22 - 
- - - - 90 
58 
02 - - 
- - - 29 
32 - 
- - - - 80 
58 
07 - - 
- - - 29 
34 - 
00 
1 
' 1 
1 
I 
58 
14 - - 
- - - 29 
46 
- - - - 100 
58 
13 - - 
- - - 30 
52 - 
- - - - 170 
This being the anniversary of His Majesty’s birth-day, and the weather Friday 4. 
being calm and fine, I directed an additional allowance of grog to be served 
out, or, in seamen’s phrase, “ the main brace to be spliced.” In the evening, 
being then in lat. 55° 01', and long. 35° 56', we tried for soundings with 
two hundred and fifty fathoms of line, without finding bottom. The 
temperature of the sea at that depth was 44|°, surface 44jf, air 43°. 
On the 7th and 8th, we had hard gales from the westward, with a heavy 7 and 8. 
sea. Indeed, from the 1st to the 14th of June, we experienced a continued 
series of unfavourable winds and unpleasant weather, so that very little 
progress could be made to the westward. 
On the 13th, being in lat. 57° 51', and long. 41° 05', the temperature of Sun. 13. 
the sea, at two hundred and thirty-five fathoms’ depth, was found to be 
39°, surface 40|°, air 41 1°. A very slight current was found to set to the 
southward. We saw, to-day, large flocks of sheerwaters ( Procellaria PuJJims J, 
called by the sailors, “ cape hens,” from an idea that they are only to be 
found near Cape Farewell. I do not remember to have met with these birds 
in any other part of Davis’ Strait, or in Baffin’s Bay. 
On the 15th, a breeze sprung up from the eastward, and at noon we very Tues.15. 
