large/7988/smoky_god_js_1303_librivox_64kb_mp3/smokygod_03_emerson_64kb_108
large/7988/smoky_god_js_1303_librivox_64kb_mp3/smokygod_03_emerson_64kb
English
7988
Having reached latitude 73 degrees, they witnessed for the first time the curious phenomenon of the directive power of the needle becoming so weak as to be completely overcome by the attraction of the ship, so that the needle might now be said to point to the north pole of the ship.") The sea was serenely smooth, with hardly a choppy wave, and the wind brisk and exhilarating. The sun's rays, while striking us aslant, furnished tranquil warmth. HAVING REACHED LATITUDE SEVENTY THREE DEGREES THEY WITNESSED FOR THE FIRST TIME THE CURIOUS PHENOMENON OF THE DIRECTIVE POWER OF THE NEEDLE BECOMING SO WEAK AS TO BE COMPLETELY OVERCOME BY THE ATTRACTION OF THE SHIP SO THAT THE NEEDLE MIGHT NOW BE SAID TO POINT TO THE NORTH POLE OF THE SHIP UNQUOTE THE SEA WAS SERENELY SMOOTH WITH HARDLY A CHOPPY WAVE AND THE WIND BRISK AND EXHILARATING THE SUN'S RAYS WHILE STRIKING US ASLANT FURNISHED TRANQUIL WARMTH
 seemed as unsteady as a drunken man, but finally pointed a course. Before this we thought the wind was carrying us north by northwest, but, with the needle free, we discovered, if it could be relied upon, that we were sailing slightly north by northeast. Our course, however, was ever tending northward.(12) (12 In volume II, pages 18 and 19, Nansen writes about the inclination of the needle. Speaking of Johnson, his aide: "One day--it was November 24--he came in to supper a little after six o'clock, quite alarmed, and said: 'There has just been a singular inclination of the needle in twenty-four degrees. And remarkably enough, its northern extremity pointed to the east.'" We again find in Peary's first voyage--page 67,--the following: "It had been observed that from the moment they had entered Lancaster Sound, the motion of the compass needle was very sluggish, and both this and its deviation increased as they progressed to the westward, and continued to do so in descending this inlet. S A DRUNKEN MAN BUT FINALLY POINTED OF COURSE BEFORE THIS WE THOUGHT THE WIND WAS CARRYING US NORTH BY NORTH WEST BUT WITH THE NEEDLE FREE WE DISCOVERED IF IT COULD BE RELIED UPON THAT WE WERE SAILING SLIGHTLY NORTH BY NORTHEAST OUR COURSE HOWEVER WAS EVER TENDING NORTHWARD NOTE TWELVE IN VOLUME TWO PAGES EIGHTEEN AND NINETEEN NANSON WRITES ABOUT THE INCLINATION OF THE NEEDLE SPEAKING OF JOHNSON HIS AID QUOTE ONE DAY IT WAS NOVEMBER TWENTY FOURTH HE CAME IN TO SUPPER A LITTLE AFTER SIX O'CLOCK QUITE ALARMED AND SAID THERE HAS JUST BEEN A SINGULAR INCLINATION OF THE NEEDLE IN TWENTY FOUR DEGREES AND REMARKABLY ENOUGH ITS NORTHERN EXTREMITY POINTED TO THE EAST UNQUOTE WE AGAIN FIND IN PERIE'S FIRST VOYAGE PAGE SIXTY SEVEN THE FOLLOWING QUOTE IT HAD BEEN OBSERVED THAT FROM THE MOMENT THEY HAD ENTERED LANCASTER SOUND THE MOTION OF THE COMPASS NEEDLE WAS VERY SLUGGISH AND BOTH THIS AND ITS DEVIATION INCREASED AS THEY PROGRESSED TO THE WESTWARD AND CONTINUED TO DO SO IN DESCENDING THE SUNLET
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