J,OCAL ATTRACTION OF THE BAFFIN. 
8.0 
* 
CHAPTER IV. 
SURVEY OF THE EAST COAST OF GREENLAND COM¬ 
MENCED.-SEVERAL INLETS AND SOME ISLANDS DIS¬ 
COVERED, AND NAMED.-GREAT ERRORS IN THE 
CHARTS DETECTED.-REAR KILLED.-CURIOUS AT¬ 
MOSPHERIC REFRACTIONS. 
Monday , June 10 th. —During this day we* 
had the wind in light or moderate breezes all 
round the compass. As we were so completely 
inclosed, in a recess of the floes, diminished to a 
mere pool by the closing of the bounding ice, 
that it was impossible to escape, or proceed to 
any distance, 1 employed myself in making ob¬ 
servations on the “ local-attraction” of the Baffin. 
Several plans have been suggested for the so¬ 
lution of this important proposition ; but most of 
them, if not all, are attended with troublesome 
calculations, or other difficulties. It appeared to 
me, however, that a situation might be found at 
the mast-head of a ship, free from local attrac¬ 
tion, where the deviation of the steering or bin¬ 
nacle compass might be at once ascertained by 
comparative observations, made independent of 
external objects. The crow’s-nest of the Baffin, 
