92 REPORT — 1853. 



continuous spiral line on the earth's surface. In passing over the 3J° adjacent to 

 each tropic, the sun was vertical within that extent of latitude for sixty-three suc- 

 cessive days. He was vertical for only one-sixth of that time over the same extent 

 of latitude' in any other part of his course. The result was, a band of deserts under 

 each tropic around the earth, with exceptions which arise only from preponderating 

 local causes. He was vertical for thirty-five days between the parallels of 10° and 

 20° in passing to the tropic, and after the interval of sixty-two days already 

 mentioned, he again passed vertically over the same latitudes in thirty-four days. 

 After leaving 10° on the passage towards the adjacent tropic, he did not return to 

 it again until 130 days had transpired, within which period he had been twice vertical 

 over the latitudes between 10° and 23°. But when he left 10° on his passage across 

 the equator, to the more distant tropic, he did not return to the same latitude until 240 

 days had passed away. He did not return to either tropic until 36.5 days had elapsed. 

 The excessive heat under the tropics arose from the long continuation of his vertical 

 action, while he was over them. His absence from the equator never exceeded 185 

 days, and for that period only when he left it to go to Cancer and back. In 

 passing to Capricorn and back, he occupied only 180 days. This difference was 

 suggestive. Now for the result, 'i'he two extreme torrid regions under the tropics 

 had been already noticed. The equatorial region is characterized by constant 

 warmth and excessive humidity, producing exuberant vegetation and animal life in 

 abundant varieties ; the temperature being subject to very little variation. The 

 regions between it and the torrid deserts, from which the vertical sun was absent 

 for a lengthened period, present the most attractive inducements for the occupation 

 of the human race. Lakes and rivers abound. The earth there yields abundantly, 

 but the vegetation is free from the excessive development of the equatorial zone. 

 The temperature varies between wide extremes. 



On late Surveys in Arracan. By Capt. Tickell. 



On the Popular Notion of an open Polar Sea. Is it the Fact? 

 By the Rev. W. Scoresby, D.D., F.R.S. ^-c. 



As far as historical records may guide us, the notion of an open sea at the Pole 

 appears to have been the suggestion of Robert Thome, of Bristol, about the year 

 1527, which led to the despatching of an expedition of two ships with the view of 

 finding a passage northward to India. It resulted in the loss of one of the ships and 

 the failure of the other. 



After this, at least eiyht other attempts of a similar kind, taking the line of direc- 

 tion generally betwixt Spitzbergen and Greenland, were made ; all of which, termi- 

 nating with the expedition of Captain Buchan in 1818, signally failed. 



The Hon.Daines Barrington, however, who held the opinion and urged the "pro- 

 bability of reaching the North Pole" by navigating the same route, brought forward 

 an extraordinary collection of instances in support of his views, in which very high 

 latitudes within the Polar Sea were asserted by diflferent adventurers engaged in the 

 whale-fishery, to have been reached. These records, supported by the opinion and 

 arguments of the late Sir John Barrow in respect to an open sea around the Pole, 

 and more recently by several of our arctic adventurers and writers on arctic research, 

 have led, in connexion w ith certain theoretic considerations, to the conclusion, now 

 popularly received as a fact, of "the open navigable Polar Sea." 



This conclusion, however, as Dr. Scoresby believes, cannot be maintained on the 

 principles and arguments by which it is assumed to be supported; on the contrary, 

 he ventures to undertake to show, not only that these considerations are inconclu- 

 sive, but that the facts or statements for the most part adduced are far more con- 

 sistent with the more natural inference of the existence of perpetual ices around 

 the Poles. 



The most convenient and satisfactory course for him. Dr. Scoresby, to pursue, in 

 the discussion of the subject of his present communication, might probably be to 

 take up the several reasons for an open Polar Sea, as put forth in series by Mr. Pe- 

 termann, in his pamphlet on the ' Search for Franklin,' who has compendiously 

 combined the whole argument. 



] . Amongst the reasons adduced in support of the popular theory, Dr. Scoresby 



