ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION. 143 
John and Venerable. With Captain Bennet, of 
the latter ship, who had a chronometer with him, 
I compared the time, and found to my satisfac¬ 
tion that our chronometers only differed fifty-five 
seconds. 
On the 6th and 7th, we had a brisk gale from 
the northward, with snow, sleet, rain, or fog con¬ 
tinually. Though we were beating to windward 
most of the time in smooth water, and apparently 
made great progress, carrying a pressure of sail, 
yet we eventually found, that the southerly cur¬ 
rent had so operated against us, that we scarcely 
increased our latitude a league. 
The 8th of July was a fine clear day, with 
brilliant sunshine. Some land to the northward 
being seen for the first time, I attempted to carry 
on my survey ; but the whole coast was found to 
be so disfigured by refraction, that I could not re¬ 
cognise a single mountain or headland. The wind 
having changed to southwest, we made rapid pro¬ 
gress towards the north. At midnight, we hove- 
to, at the edge of a large heavy field, where a 
narwal and several razor-backs (Balama physa- 
lis) had been seen, but no whales. 
The morning of the 9th was brilliant, with 
light winds, and a highly refractive state of the 
atmosphere. The land, and a number of ships 
that came within sight, as well as the ice, and 
