596 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
clearly ascertained the position of the north magnetic pole; 
1 think that there is a singular coincidence in the spot, which 
he has determined by experiments, to be the true position of 
the magnetic pole, and that inferred from philosophical con¬ 
siderations, by Professor Barlow. Professor Barlow published 
a paper in the last volume of the Philosophical Transactions 
on magnetic lines of equal variation ; at the conclusion of that 
paper he says, that, to which I will beg the attention of the 
committee : it will perhaps put in a stronger light the importance 
of that discovery, than any thing I can say. It is a postscript to 
Mr. Barlow’s paper, on the present situation of the magnetic 
lines of equal variation. “ Since this paper was read, and the 
globe and chart referred to in this article were drawn, Capt. 
Ross has returned from his long and adventurous voyage. It will 
be seen, by a reference to the polar chart, that although I was 
enabled to lay down the curves of equal variation, to within 
a few degrees of their point of concurrence, yet they all ter¬ 
minated before arriving at it, for want of sufficient data. These 
are now supplied, and it is very gratifying to me, as I hope it 
may be also to Capt. Ross and to Commander James Ross, to 
find, that the very spot, in which they have found the needle 
perpendicular, that is, the pole itself, is precisely that point on 
my globe and chart, in which by supposing all the lines to 
meet, the several curves would best preserve their unity of 
character, both separately and conjointly as a system.” The 
importance as it strikes me of their coincidence, is this, it is 
clearly of very great importance to navigation, to know what 
the variation of the needle is in every part, and the lines of equal 
variation which Professor Barlow has laid down, will be in 
that respect extremely important, if they be true ; their coin¬ 
cidence with the actual observations of Commander James 
Ross, must necessarily give a great confidence in them. 
On this part of the evidence of Mr. Children, we may be 
allowed to say a few words, as it contains a discrepancy with 
the evidence of Capt. Ross, which called for some minute ex¬ 
planation, but which, it was not thought proper by the com¬ 
mittee to enter into. According to the evidence of Mr Children, 
