CONCLUDING REMARKS. 203 



sea of Kara. This peculiarity of feature indicates 

 a current,* prevailing in a westerly direction, and 

 carrying with it the great body of ice, which as 

 it sweeps past the several islands and promon- 

 tories leaves the sea open in their drift. It is 

 remarkable, that in the sea which divides Asia 

 and America the same peculiarity is observable, 

 as though the whole body of ice had acquired 

 a circular motion about the Pole from east to 

 west. If it has not been found to set in this 

 direction upon some parts of the American Con- 

 tinent, it may be that the observation was made 

 close to the shore, where an eddy or counter 

 current would, naturally, prevail. 



The experience of these early voyages has 

 clearly proved, that there is no advantage at all 

 adequate to the labour, to be gained by the 

 wearisome operation of endeavouring to force a 

 passage through the ice in the manner attempted 

 by Captain Buchan. On that occasion he fairly 

 put to the test the powerful efforts of an efficient 

 ship, and yet he was surpassed in position by 

 some of the old navigators, whose vessels, scarce- 

 ly larger than our modern fishing boats, were in 

 no way competent to such a formidable encoun- 

 ter, and who, Hudson excepted, never dreamed 

 of entering the icy barrier, much less of endea- 

 * See also Remarks upon Currents in Appendix. 



