544 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



That liowexer dependant the ice 

 may have been on the land, from 

 the time of its first appearance, to 

 its gaining an ascendancy oser 

 the waves of the ocean, sufficient 

 to resist their utmost ravages, and 

 to arrest the progress of maritime 

 discovery, at a distance of per- 

 haps from six hundred to a thou- 

 sand miles from the Pole, it is 

 now evident, that the proximity 

 of land is not essential, either for 

 its existence, its formation, or its 

 increase. 



On the situation of the Polar Ice, 

 and the effects produced on it by 

 the change of seasons. 



The mass of ice lying between 

 Old Greenland on the west, and 

 the Russian portion of Europe on 

 the east, though varying consider- 

 ably in particulars, yet as a gene- 

 ral outline is strikingly imiform. 



On the east coast of AVest 

 Greenland, a remarkable alteration 

 has, however, taken place. That 

 part extending from the parallel 

 of Iceland to Staten-Hook, was, 

 before the fifteenth century, free 

 of ice, and could always be ap- 

 proached in the sun.mer season, 

 witho\it hinderance. After a con- 

 siderable trade had been carried 

 on between Iceland and the Main 

 for upwards of 400 years, singular 

 as it may appear, of a sudden the 

 polar ice extended its usual limits, 

 launched down by the land to the 

 Southern Cape, and so completely 

 barricadoed the whole of the 

 eastern coast, that it has not since 

 been accessible. The fate of the 

 wretched inhabitants is imknown ; 

 but they are generally supposed to 

 have perished from the want of 

 their usual supplies, or from the 



increased coldness of their atmo- 

 sphere. 



In various countries, changes 

 of climate to a certain extent 

 have occurred, within the limits 

 of historical record ; these changes 

 have been commonly for the better, 

 and have been considered as the 

 effects of human industry, in 

 draining marshes and lakes, fell- 

 ing woods, and cultivating the 

 earth : but here is an occurrence, 

 the reverseof common experience ; 

 and concerning its causes I am 

 not prepared to hazard any con- 

 jecture. 



This icy barrier, at present, 

 with each recurring spring, exhi- 

 bits the following general outline. 

 After doubling the southern pro- 

 montory of Greenland, it advances 

 in a north-eastern direction along 

 the east coast, enveloping Iceland 

 as it proceeds, until it reaches 

 John Maync'a Island. Passing 

 this island on the nortlvwest, but 

 frequently enclosing it likewise, it 

 then trends a little more to the 

 eastward, and intersects the meri- 

 dian of London in the 7l9t or 72d 

 degree of latitude. H.aving reached 

 the longitude of 6, 8, or perhaps 

 10 degrees east, in the 73d or 

 74 th degree of north latitude, it 

 suddenly stretches to the north, < 

 sometimes proceeding on a meri- 

 dian to the latitude of 80", at 

 others forming a deep sinuosity, 

 extending two or three degrees to 

 the northward, and then south 

 easterly to Cheny Island ; — which 

 having passed, it assumes a direct 

 course a little south of east, until 

 it forms a junction with the Sibe- 

 rian or Nova Zemblan coast. 



That remarkable promontory, 

 formed by the sudden stretch of 

 the ice to the north, constitutes 



the 



