192 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



the greateft part of the ices of the North Pole, 

 which has undergone all the heats of Summer, is 

 melted, and thofe of the South Pole begin to dif- 

 folve. It is farther remarkable, that the tides at 

 our vernal Equinox, in March, rife higher than 

 thofe of September, becaufe it is the end of Sum- 

 mer to the South Pole, which contains much more 

 ice than ours, and, confequently, fends to the 

 Ocean, a much greater mafs of water. And it 

 contains more ice, becaufe the Sun is fix days lefs 

 in that Hemifphere, than in ours. If I am afked. 

 Why the Sun does not communicate his light and 

 heat, in exaftly equal proportions, to both Poles ? 

 I fhall leave it to the learned to aiTign the cmife^ 

 but fliall afcribe the reafon of it to the Divine 

 Goodnefs, which has been pleafed to beftow the 

 larger fhare of thefe bleflings, on that half of the 

 Globe which contains the greateft quantity of dry 

 land, and the greateft number of inhabitants. 



I fliall fay nothing of the intermittance of thefe 

 polar elfufions, which produce, on our coafts, two 

 fluxes and two refluxes, nearly in the fame time 

 that the Sun, making the circuit of the Globe, 

 over our Hemifphere, alternately heats two Conti- 

 nents and two Oceans, that is, in the fpace of 

 twenty-four hours, during which his influence twice 

 a(5ls, and is twice fufpended. . Neither fhall I 

 fpeak of their retardation, which is nearly three 



quarters 



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