“In order to render the result of my observations on this subject as clear as possible, I have selected a few, and inserted them in the order they were taken. The correctness of them may be relied on, being all calculated by two persons, examined by a third, and the whole taken by myself.
“I boarded a good many Greenland ships when in the North, whose masters all agreed in maintaining, that they experienced strong south-east currents on their return home, and were often confounded at making the coast of Norway when they expected to make that of Shetland. Now, I have no hesitation in saying, that if the same difference in the variation is to be found on board of a Greenland ship, that was found to exist in the Sybyll and Princess Carolina, the idea of a strong easterly current is unfounded, and is merely resorted to, to account for the error in their dead reckoning, arising from their not allowing a sufficiency of westerly variation in running from the ice to the south-west. A degree of longitude is soon lost in those high latitudes, and the error must increase in running to the south-west, if proper allowance be not made; for I am very certain that a different variation will be found on every point of the compass the ship’s head is put on. The greatest will be found when the ship’s head is at West, gradually declining till it comes to East.
“The Princess Carolina, as well as Sybyll, experienced the same currents as the masters of the Greenland ships supposed to exist; for when we made Shetland, by Arnold’s chronometer, No. 1981, to a mile, our dead reckonings were nearly 6° to the westward in both ships; and when we made the North Cape by the same chronometer, (which was under my own care,) the longitude in both ships, by account, was 4° to the westward also. The one error was occasioned by not allowing a sufficient quantity of variation in running to the south-west, and the other by allowing too much in running to the north-east.
“I do not know whether the same observations may hold good when applied to ships coming from the Baltic; but should they do so, they must effectually account for ships getting down on the coast of Holland, when they suppose themselves well over in Mid-channel. Perhaps this may, in some measure, serve to account for the loss of so many of our brave tars when coming from that sea.
“Notwithstanding the whole tenor of my observations, as well as those of Captain Flinders, led me to believe that the cause of the variation must exist in the ship; yet I had great difficulty in coming to a conclusion so remote from what had formerly been held to be truth; and for that reason, during 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 lighthouse, 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 lighthouse 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 observations, 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 extremities 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. ½ E. when I observed 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. Lat. and 20° 7´ E. Long. At this time it came on foggy, and prevented us from ascertaining its extent. Soundings 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 this part of the coast appearing to be surrounded with rocks, we did not attempt approaching it more closely. Our chronometers made it in about 16° 2´ E. We saw some beacons placed along the coast, each in the form of a cross, which, are, no doubt, placed there for the guidance of the Russian hunters.
“About this time we bore away for the North Cape, in order to water, and procure any refreshments that could be got. After making the land to the westward of the Cape, we stood into a large bay, to look for a place of safety to accomplish our purpose, hardly suspecting that any inhabitants were to be found. On standing in, we observed some boats under sail, one of which was soon brought alongside, that contained a family of Finmarkers, some of whom spoke the Danish language. They informed us of the town of Hammerfest being close by, and offered to take us in. This offer was soon embraced, and, in a few hours, the town opened to our view; which, to our astonishment, contained a church, batteries, &c. The Captain of the port soon made his appearance, and anchored us in safety. I made a survey of this place, and ascertained its latitude and longitude as correctly as possible, which are as follow: