■ 
Why i s the (excessive) variation of 
toe needle found permanent in Baffin’s I 
Bay, and other places very high north I 
whilst the variation on this side of 
where I the verge, is sometimes 
to the east, of north, and sometimes to 
the west,—unless my system of oblique 
meridians is correct? 
Why did the Indians, with whom! 
Capt. Ross conversed high up in Baf- j 
fin’s Bay, inform him, that' ire was less 
abundant further north, unless my the¬ 
ory is correct?—which shows that the 
climate grows milder and milder in 
advancing beyond the icy circle or 
zone. 
Why was the food found by Capt. 
Ross in the stomach of a seal, so differ- 1 
ent from the sustenance of other ani¬ 
mals?—unless they feed in some place 
as much unknown to us as is the mid- 
plane-space I describe. 
And whither does the seal in Baffin’s 
and Hudson’s Bay retire in winter, if ! 
it be not to the mid-plane-space?—for' 
Hearne states that they do not go 1 
northwards from Hudson’s Bay up any j 
of the straits; and that they are not 
seen in those seas in winter; I believe i 
no one will say they migrate to the 
south of Greenland. 
Whether the great black Whales, i 
which frequent Baffin’s Bay, retire up 
the straits. Captain Parry will prob¬ 
ably be able to say, when he returns: 
—but I presume that they do not; and, j 
it is my belief, that any fishermen who 
frequent that hay will deny that they 
migrate to the southward of Green¬ 
land, when they disappear from Da¬ 
vis’s straits. Respectfully, 
J NO. CLEVES SYMAIES. 
New-port, Ky. Jan. 9, 1823. ^ 
