244 



THE MUSEUM. 



found in the Antartic continent at a 

 comparatively short distance from the 

 coast. Moreover, as has been stated, 

 if occular demonstration be needed to 

 estabhsh this point. Sir James Ross 

 saw and described such a range of 

 mountains. Again, no oceanic cur- 

 rent, properly speaking, is to be found 

 in the Antarctic ocean. That is, there 

 is, in the Antarctic ocean, no counter- 

 part of the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic, 

 or, of the Japanese current of the Pac- 

 ific ocean. tnstead there is a regular 

 and constant movement of the entire 

 body of water, from the east towards 

 the west caused by the axial motion of 

 the earth. Now, were the Antarctic 

 continent of any other shape than cir- 

 cular, or were its coasts line very ir- 

 regular, the water would be diverted, 

 some point, towards the north, and a 

 return current of warm water would 

 come from the equatorial regions. No 

 such currents have been noticed, and 

 this, therefore, directly corroborates 

 the theory of a circular continent; and, 

 indirecth' the same fact corroborates 

 all other theories which f have advanc- 

 ed respectino; the Antarctic continent. 

 A brief description of the meteorol- 

 gy of this continent is yet to be given. 

 It is a well-known fact that most of 

 the meteorological phenomena with 

 which we are acquainted are caused, 

 more or less directly, by the influence 

 of the sun's rays. The sun, by shin- 

 ing upon a particular portion of the 

 earth's surface, raises the temperature 

 of that portion. This surplus heat is 

 radiated back into the atmosphere and 

 combined with the heat which the at- 

 mosphere itself receives directly from 

 the sun, it produces an elevation in 

 temperature, and a consequent expan- 

 sion* in bulk of the atmosphere over 



that particular locality. To maintain 

 an equilibrium, colder and heavier air 

 rushes into the partial venum and over 

 the heated portion of the earth's sur- 

 face. As each particle of air moves 

 forward it leaves a vacumn behind 

 which is filled by other particles from 

 behind and above. This process is re- 

 peated again and again, the lower par- 

 ticles acting with less and less force, 

 until the upper particles, moving per- 

 pendicularly have gained a complete 

 mastery. At this point the wind 

 ceases upon the surface; but the des- 

 cent of the upper particles of air has 

 likewise created a vacumn into which 

 a voleme of air from a still higher re- 

 gion immediately pours. This air 

 comes from the heated portions, and 

 thus, by continual wind currents an 

 equilibrium is maintained. 



Now these conditions prevail in the 

 Antarctic zone, as well as elsewhere. 

 The sun warms a portion of the earth's 

 surface, we will say near the Antarctic 

 circle. The air above is rarefied and 

 a partial vacuum is created. Into this 

 vacuum colder air rushes from the 

 south. We have seen that the iso- 

 thums of this region extend arcnind the 

 earth in a direction perpendicular to 

 its axis, and hence the increase of heat 

 must have considerable regularity. 

 This indicates that there is constant 

 wind, varying only in intensity, con- 

 tinually blowing from the South Pole 

 towards the equator. The region of 

 the greatest intensity of this wind 

 would seem to be just off the coast of 

 the Antarctic continent. And it may 

 be well to remark that every navigator 

 who has ventured near the shores of 

 this continent has complained of severe 

 head-winds at this latitude. The 

 greater intensity, it will readily be 



