vantage, because there is reason to believe that its position is changing rapidly in the space referred to, particularly in the eastern meridians; and that the southern magnetic hemisphere, in so far as its boundary may be indicated by this line, is in that quarter of the globe gaining rapidly on the northern."
He further states, that whilst the general direcrection of the line of least intensity, drawn from observations[1] of Dunlop, Erman, and Sulivan, corresponding nearly to the epoch of 1825, is consistent with that deduced from our observations in 1840, yet its earlier position is every where three or four degrees south of that which would be inferred from the later determinations. Its average northerly movement therefore, during the last fifteen years, appears to have rather exceeded annually thirteen miles.
Feb. 15.A water-spout of small size, seen on the morning of the fifteenth, was followed by a heavy shower in the afternoon of an hour's continuance. The rain which fell at a temperature of 67°, in a few minutes reduced that of the air from 79° to 73.°
In lat. 26° 10′ S. and long. 12° 50′ W. we made another attempt at deep sounding, but failed, owing to the line being accidentally checked and breaking at twelve hundred and sixty fathoms.
Feb. 22.This evening, soon after dark, a number of cuttle fish sprang on board over the weather bulwark, fif-