At this period of
the voyage a singular circumstance was remarked: during their passage down
Sir James Lancaster's Sound, the compass would scarcely traverse, and the
ship's iron evidently had great influence over it: both these phaenomena
became more apparent and powerful, in proportion as their westerly course
encreased. When they were arrived in the latitude of 73 deg., the directive
power of the needle became so weak, that it was completely overcome by the
attraction of the iron in the ship, so that the needle might now be said
to point to the north pole of the ship. And by an experiment it was found,
that a needle suspended by a thread, the movements of which were of course
scarcely affected by any friction, always pointed to the head of the ship,
in whatever direction it might be.
To this inlet, which Captain Parry was now sailing down, he gave the name
of the Prince Regent. The prospect was still very flattering: the width
increased as they proceeded, and the land inclined more and more to the
south-westward. But their expectations were again destroyed: a floe of ice
stretched to the southward, beyond which no sea was to be descried. Captain
Parry therefore resolved to return to the wide westerly passage which he
had quitted. On the 22d of August, being in longitude 92-1/4 deg., they opened
two fine channels, the one named after the Duke of Wellington; this was
eight leagues in width, and neither land nor ice could be seen from the
mast head though the weather was extremely clear; this channel tended to
the N.
Pages:
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779