164 
our stay at St Mary’s, I took the opportunity of 
making a decisive experiment on this subject. I 
first went with the Azimuth compass to St Agnes’s 
light-house, from which I set the flag-staff on St 
Mary’s Castle E. 31°N. I next went to St Mary’s 
Castle, and from it set the light-house W. 31° S. 
Finding these opposite bearings thus correspond 
when on shore, I am fully persuaded the cause of 
the differences observed when at sea, must exist in 
the ship.” 
After making these remarks on the variation of 
the compass, he next goes on to make some obser¬ 
vations as they occurred in the voyage. 
“ On the 16th of June, saw Bear, or Cherry Island, 
which, at a distance, looks like a saddle, both extre¬ 
mities being very high, and the middle low. It 
may be seen 20 leagues off in clear weather. At 
noon, it bore by compass, N. b E. J E. when I ob¬ 
served in 73° 44' N. good observation, and our 
chronometer gave good sights, 20° 3' E. By seven 
P. M. we had run 33 miles on a N. N. W. course 
corrected, when the south end of the island bore 
by compass E. b N. 3 or 4 leagues, which brought 
up from noon, will make it in 74° 19' N. Lac. and 
20° 7' E. Long. At this time it came on foggy, and 
prevented us from ascertaining its extent. Sound¬ 
ings are to be obtained to the southward of this 
island, and up to Spitzbergen; black mud and 
small shells. 
“ 19th, Saw Spitzbergen, and on the 20th were 
close in with the South Cape. We carried regular 
soundings to 11 fathoms, about three miles off ; but 
