Very little ice was to be seen to the southward, although large fields of it lay behind us.

This day we rigged some sounding gear, using a large iron pot capable of holding twenty gallons, and a line of two hundred fathoms.

We found the current setting to the north, about a quarter of a mile per hour.

The temperature of the air was now about thirty-three.

Here we found the variation to be 14 degrees 28' easterly, per azimuth.
January 5 .-- We had still held on to the southward without any very great impediments.