298 ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 



where the contrast of temperature is the greatest : 

 and since that contrast must be gradually diminish- 

 ed, as the air passes over the gelid surface of the 

 ice, much of its stiperabundant moisture must ge- 

 nerally he discharged before it reaches the interior. 

 Hence we can account for the fewness of the clouds, 

 — the consequent brightness of the atmosphere, — 

 and the rareness of storms, in situations far immu- 

 red among the northern ice. 



From this consideration, it might be supposed, 

 that after the precipitation of a certain small depth 

 of snow on the interior ice, the atmosphere could 

 alone replenish its moisture from the same surface, 

 and that whatever changes of temperature might 

 occur, it could only discharge the same again : or, 

 in other words, that the very same moisture would 

 be alternately evaporated and deposited, without a 

 possibility of adding to a limited depth of snow. 

 Now, this would assuredly be the case, if nothing 

 more than the same moisture evaporated from the 

 snowy surface of the ice, were again deposited. But, 

 it must be observed, that notwithstanding winds 

 from the north, east or west, may not furnish any 

 considerable quantity of snow ; and that although 

 those warm and humid storms which blow from the 

 south, may afford a large proportion of their hu- 

 midity to the coctcrior ice ; yet, as the temperature 

 of the northern regions would be gradually eleva- 

 ted, by the long continuance of a southerly gale, 



