resources. We therefore commenced immediately lightening the ships by entirely clearing them out, landing all the stores and provisions, and securing them in warehouses, which his Excellency Sir John Franklin kindly appropriated to that purpose, and devoted exclusively to our use.
Thus also the survey of all the remaining stores, provisions, and materials of every kind was at the same time the more readily accomplished: and we had the satisfaction to find that no one article of any consequence had suffered from the great differences of climate they had been exposed to since our leaving England. Repairing and caulking the ships, stripping and refitting their rigging, cleaning and painting them inside and out, as well as all other requisite operations, were now proceeded with under the immediate direction of the senior lieutenants, Bird and McMurdo.
The ship's portable observatories were again put up near the Rossbank Observatory, and gave employment to every officer of both ships that could be spared from other duties, in making a careful comparison of all the magnetic and other instruments that had been employed during our southern cruize, with those of the fixed observatory, under the superintendence of Commander Crozier.
The two sets of ship's magnetometers were got into adjustment, and were observed simultaneously with those of the observatory on the term days of the 21st April, 28th May, and 23rd June, on