126 ACCOUNT OF THE AllCTIC REGIONS. 



of the momitainoiis coast, throughout its daily 

 course. 



The highest temperature I ever observed in 

 Spitzbergeii was 48°; but in the summer of 1773, 

 when Captain Phipps visited Spitzbergen, a tem- 

 perature of 58^" once occurred *. Supposing this 

 to be the greatest degree of lieat which takes place, 

 it will require an elevation of 7791 feet for redu- 

 cing that temperature to the freezing point ; and 

 hence we may reckon this to be about the altitude of 

 the upjjcr line of congelation, where frost perpe- 

 tually prevails f , 



The form of the moitntain-summit ^vhich I vi- 

 sited, is round-backed ; the area of the part ap- 

 proaching the horizontal position not being above 

 a quarter of an acre. The south side where we 

 ascended, and the south-east, are the only accessible 

 parts ; the east, north and vrest aspects being pre- 

 cipitous nearly from top to bottom. AVhat snow 

 still remained on the summit, was but a few inches 

 deep, and appeared to be in a state of rapid disso- 

 lution ; the sides of the hill were almost entirely 

 free from snow. The masses of stone on the brow 



* Voyage towards the North Pole, p. 40. 



t See Professor Leslie's Geometry, 2d edition, Table, 

 p. 496. 



