Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/403

Rh and saw the coast turn off sharply and decidedly eastward. Thence, round to the north-west, stretched a sea free from ice, and devoid of all land, except what looked like two very distant islands. On the rocky summit, about two hun- dred feet in height, the natives of this barren region had erected a ponderous stone slab for a landmark. Some of their old encampments were found in the valley below, also several stone forms for building skin canoes. A line of blue hills rose, and spread away, in the south. Observations were obtained, placing this remarkable and singularly shaped cape in lat. 68° 3′ 52″ N., long. 95° 41′ 30″ W. The azimuth compass, by Jones, settled exactly in the true meridian, and agreed with two others, by the same maker, placed on the ground. The promontory was, in consequence, at first called Cape No Variation; subsequently altered to Cape Britannia, in affectionate remembrance of our native land, whose glory we trust may never know change or decay.

The cruel north-east wind having again arisen, we were only able to attain the farthest angle of the cape, about three miles distant, where we remained wind-bound for two days. Here the dip of the needle was found to have decreased to 89° 16′ 40″, as might have been expected