onger was the tendency of
the north pole, or end of the needle, to point downward, and the south
pole to rise up correspondingly. By running the sliding weight out a
little toward the south pole, its leverage was increased, and the
parallel position restored. This was what Capt. Mazard was doing when
we went on deck that morning.

"How do you account for this _dipping_ of the needle?" he asked Raed.

"By the present theory of magnetism, the earth itself is considered to
be a magnet with two poles," replied Raed. "These poles attract and
repel the corresponding poles of a magnetic needle, just as another
large needle would. The nearer we get up to the north magnetic pole of
the earth, the more the pole of our needle is pulled down toward it.
We're not such a great distance from it now. What's our latitude this
morning?"

"63 deg. 27'."

"Capt. Ross, in the expedition of 1829, made out the earth's north
magnetic pole to be in 70 deg. north latitude, farther west, in the upper
part of Hudson Bay. At that place he reports that a magnetic needle,
suspended so that it turned easily, pointed directly downward."

"We've got a needle hung in a graduated scale downstairs," remarked
Kit.

We had nearly forgotten it, however.

"Bring it up," said Raed.

Wade went after it.

It was set on the deck, and, after vibrating a few seconds, came to
rest at a _dip_ of about 83 deg..

"If we were up at the point Capt. Ross reached, it would point
directly down, or at 90 deg., I suppose," said Kit.

"That's what he reported," said Raed. "There's no reason to doubt it."

"But where is the south pole?" Wade asked.

"That has never been exactly reached," said Raed. "It is supposed to
be in 75 deg., south latitude, south of New Holland, in the Southern
Ocean. A point has been reached where the _dip_ is 88-2/3 deg., however."

"Of course this magnetic pole that Ross found in 70 deg. is not the _bona
fide_ north pole of the earth," Wade observed.

"Oh, no!" said the captain. "The _genuine_ north pole is not so easily
reached."

"It's curious what this magnetic attraction is," said Kit
reflectively.

"It is now considered to be the same thing as electricity, is it not?"
I asked.

"Yes," replied Kit; "but whether they are a _fluid_ or a _force_ is
not so clear. Tyndall and Faraday think they are a sort of _force_."

"It is found that this _dip_ of the needle, or, in other words, the
position of the magnetic poles, varies wit