But suppose that the earth is to the North of the magnetic equator of the field, what happens then?

Thus the difference, arising from a change of place in the compass, appeared to diminish sensibly as we approached the magnetic equator.

The terrestrial magnetic poles do not coincide with the geographical ones; nor does the earth's magnetic equator quite coincide with the geographical equator.

At the magnetic equator there is no dip at all, because the needle being equally distant from the north and south magnetic poles, remains horizontal.