o/ a direct Passage over the Pole. 297 



n'lll cnntiniie to operate ; and wliat lias happened bv the esta- 

 blished {general law ot" nature tnav happen again. Therefore, 

 thougli it may he /loptd, it certainly would be "unreasonable to 

 presume" that merely on account of the present accidental re- 

 moval of some portion of ice," our summer climate (and winter 

 too, when the wind blows from the western quarter,) mav hence- 

 forth improve." Though, no doubt, it will improve, {/the ice 

 does not again collect in the places from whence it has lately been 

 dislodged. But surely u'e have more reason to fear it may, be- 

 cause it has done so before, than to presume we siiall " hence- 

 forth" have no more huge ice-bergs drifting down to the south- 

 ward in the wind's eye of our island, and that therefore our cli- 

 mate may improve. For, whilst the universe continues to be 

 governed by the unerring and unalterable general laws of God, 

 mountains and fields of ice will doubtless continue to be formed 

 in the polar regions of the north ; and whenever the winters are 

 successively severe there, they must accumulate ; and, no doubt, 

 find their way to the southward as they have done. 



The 2(1 object is " the opportunity which tiie /ocflZ disappear- 

 ance of the jce affords of incpiiring into the fate of the long lost 

 colony, on the eastern coast of Old Grcewhuui." It must be ad- 

 mitted to be favourable f ( r this object, so highlv interesting to 

 humanity and science, as well as to curiosity; and should the east 

 coast of Greenland continue to be free from ice, as it is said to 

 have been last year, it is probable it may be attained. 



Tlie 3d object, viz. " the facility it offers of correcting the very 

 defective geography of the arctic regions in our western hemi- 

 sphere. Of attempting the circumnavigation of Greenland. A 

 direct passage over the pole. And the more circuitous one along 

 the northern coast of America into the Pacific." Certainly "aiiy 

 event that tends to encourage the attempt to amend the very de- 

 fective geoiiniphy of the Arctic regions, more especially on the 

 side of America, may be hailed as an important occurrence." But 

 let us see whether, what may be onlv a local and very partial re- 

 moval of ice, collected in the vicinity of Greenland, is likely to 

 facilitate more tiian an examination of its eastern coast, or, at 

 niost, its circunniavigation, and, perhaps, of exploring the coasl 

 of America some distance to the north-west of Cumbcrlund 

 Jsland, if not to its north -eastern extremity. It is very true, 

 that "several circumstances may be adduced in support of tiia 

 opiriion, that GrfcnlanJ is either an island, or an archipelago of 

 islands ;" an<i none stronger than, the perpetual current stated 

 to set down " to the southward, along the eastern coast of Ame- 

 rica, and the wotern shores of Greenland." 



But this current, though affording " a strong presumption" 

 that between Davis's Strait anil the great polar basin there is 



ioiiiQ 



