We worked our way south today, about five miles. We didn't find much of anything other than a few tent rings. We are now of the opinion that we have actually found Ross' cairn just north of here. We went back to it this evening and it has every evidence of being an old cairn, and it's at the right latitude according to the coordinates that Ross gave years ago. The old longitudes were 'way out - his longitude would put it twenty miles out to sea. We think this is the right cairn, but just to be sure, please call Fran (W: Fran is John Harrington's wife) and ask her to call Margaret Bertulli in Yellowknife and find out the exact modern GPS co-ordinates for Ross's cairn. I'll call Fran tomorrow at 12:00 noon her time to get the information.

Here is an exerpt from James Clark Ross' narrative of the discovery of the magnetic north pole while a member of his uncle's (Sir John Ross) expedition. Ross reached the magnetic north on June first, 1831. The narrative is written in the traditional style of the day: James Clark Ross (1800-62), telescope in his hand, explorer's fur cloak over his shoulder and determined gaze in his eyes: the most accomplished British polar explorer of the 19th century. "But it will gratify general curiosity to state the most conspicuous results in a simple and popular manner. The place of the observatory was as near to the magnetic pole as the limited means which I possessed enabled me to determine. The amount of the dip, as indicated by my dipping neeedle, was 89 degrees, 59 minutes, being thus within one minute of the vertical; while the proximity at least of this pole, if not its actual existence where we stood, was further confirmed by the action, or rather the total inaction of several horizontal needles then in my possession. These were suspended in the most delicate manner possible, but there was not one which showed the slightest effort to move from the position in which it was placed: a fact, which even the most moderately informed of readers must now know to be one which proves that the centre of the attraction lies at a very small horizontal distance, if at any. As soon as I had satisfied my own mind on this subject, I made known to the party this gratifying result of all of our joint labours; and it was then, that amidst mutual congratulations, we fixed the British flag on the spot, and took possession of the North Magnetic Pole and its adjoining territory, in the name of Great Britain and King William the Fourth. We had abundance of materials for building, in the fragments of limestone that covered the beach; and we therefore erected a cairn of some magnitude, under which we buried a cannister, containing a record of the interesting fact: only regretting that we had not the means of constructing a pyramid of more importance, and of strength sufficient to withstand the assaults of the Esquimaux. Had it been a pyramid as large as that of Cheops, I am not quite sure that it would have done more than satisfy our ambition, under the feelings of that exciting day. The latitude of this spot is 70 degrees, 5 minutes, 17 seconds, and its longitude 96 degrees, 46 minutes, 45 seconds west."

We have some EXCITING NEWS! You remember a few days ago when we stopped in to have tea and bannock with some people who invited us in by radio? Their names were Sam and Leah, and they had a little son named Ryan who, at the age of 5 years, had just shot his first seal - got it with one bullet. Anyway, they just radioed up to us to say that they've found some things not far from their camp. There is a piece of leather with the date 1847 on it, plus there are a number of skulls and graves in the area. We're changing gears! We're going to begin working our way southward, toward their camp. We will cover the entire coast area carefully for the thirty or so miles between here and there starting tomorrow. We don't want to speculate until we see for ourselves, but this could be exciting news indeed!

That red light is on again, so we'd better stop now. Talk to you tomorrow.

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