13 
snow-covered continent. The sea-breeze, that conveys 
‘warmth in winter to the north of Europe, has first, as a 
land-wind from Greenland, carried cold to the island of 
Iceland; and the collating of meteorological observations 
proves indeed that an opposite state of temperature takes 
place in Iceland and in the north of Europe; so that our 
colder winters and colder months answer to milder winters . 
and months in Iceland, and vice versa. But Europe is 
favoured above all the countries situated under the same 
degree of latitude. It forms the western border of the con- 
tinent to which it belongs: the gulf-stream bears into the 
eastern portion of the Atlantic Ocean a body of waters, 
warm from tropical latitudes; while the continent of Africa, 
lying in a position with respect to Europe which in other 
parts of the world is held by cooling seas, heats the air 
which thence floats, in the upper regions of the atmosphere, 
from the Equator towards the Pole. The south winds, 
those currents of the lower strata of African atmosphere, 
with their glowing influence, adorn the northern skirts of 
the Mediterranean with the productions of the Tropics, so 
that the palms are even seen extending beyond the 43° N. 
latitude. These are among the most evident, though not 
perhaps the most decided proofs of the advantages which 
Europe enjoys as to climate. The sea-winds may not be the 
sole vehicle for the conveyance of heat with which our 
northern districts are favoured; for, according to Wahlenberg; 
the mean temperature of northern Europe is lower than that 
of the earth. Under the 46? N. iat, an equalization takes 
place between them; and more northerly the first decreases 
quicker than the other. In the north of Europe, towards 
the 71? N.lat, springs and winter-flowing brooks may be 
seen, the ground does not freeze beneath its covering of 
snow, and the frost never penetrates into well-protect 
cellars. To the north of Behring's Straits, on the contrary, 
the earth never thaws, nor even at the Polar Circle in 
Kotzebue’s Sound; it is found everywhere hard. frozen, a 
few inches below the growth of vegetati oat while under 
that crust, and below a very thin layer of x the ice may 
