SUPPLEMENT 
5 
Questions 52-3, “ Before you reached that spot, what was the 
greatest variation of the compass ?”—“ We were then at a variation 
of90 degrees westerly; previously to that, we had been 180 de¬ 
grees ; we passed round it; which-ever way we passed it, as we 
passed round it, the compass turned towards it horizontally, and 
when we were to the north or south of it, we turned a variation 
of 180 degrees. When we were east or west, our variation was 
SO degrees.” 
“ Within what area do you conceive you have reduced the 
situation of the magnetic pole ?”—“ One mile” 
We will here just quote that part of the memoir of Comman¬ 
der Ross, which relates to the area within which the position of 
the magnetic pole has been reduced, and which will go a great 
way to confirm the opinion, which we promulgated, that Capt. 
Ross himself knew little about the matter. 
“ To complete the observations on the intensity of the mag¬ 
netic force, and the various experiments which were made, and 
which it is unnecessary here to notice, occupied the whole of 
the time that I could devote to that purpose ; and although there 
is a difference, amounting to several minutes, in the different 
observations made in the same direction of the needle, yet the 
resultant mean dip of the three directions in which they were ob¬ 
tained, placed us as near to the magnetic pole as, with our limited 
means, we were able to determine. And although it cannot but 
be a rough approximation, yet it is hardly possible to be more than 
a few miles from the exact position. It was at any rate q ute im¬ 
possible for us to know,now that the horizontal needle had ceased 
to act, in whatever direction to proceed, for the purpose of 
approaching it more nearly ; for, in order to determine its exact 
position , the co-operation of several observers placed at some dis¬ 
tance in various directions of its position would be necessary 
After the last able and scientific exposition of Commander 
Ross, it is scarcely necessary to inquire into the quantum of truth 
which lies in the answer of Capt. Ross, that the area in which the 
position of the magnetic pole had been reduced to was a mile. 
Desisting at present from entering into any further discussion, 
as to the subject of the position of the magnetic pole, we consider 
