SOG On Ihejlrst Principles of Music. 



aWe to approach the continent of Asia higher than 67", nov that 

 •of America in any prirt, excepting a few leagues between the lati- 

 tude of 68° and 68'^ 20' N. — Rut in the last attempt, they were 

 obstructed I)y ice three degrees further to the southiuard, nnd 

 their endeavours to push further to the northward, were princi- 

 cipally confined to the mid space between the two coasts." 



Now all this does not seem to favour the supposition of a cur- 

 rent " rushing in" from the Pacific through Behring's strait, with 

 such velocity as it may l)e fairly supposed a body of water would 

 have, of sniTicient quantity to supply the southerly current, " set- 

 ting perpetually into the Atlantic on both sides of Greenland, not 

 only wlien the ice is melting, but when the sea is freezing." 



Indeed, if we do but consider for a moment, the quantity of 

 water that may be supposed to flow through so extensive a space 

 as Davis's Strait, " with a velocity of four, and sometimes of five 

 nfiles an hour," and then add to that the amazing quantity set- 

 ting as constantly to the southward in the still greater space to 

 the eastward of Greenland and Spitzbergen, it does certainly ap- 

 pear to be improbable, nay impossible, that a current of at least 

 equal, or even of double velocity, and occupying the full extent 

 of the breadth and depth of Behring's Strait, would be at all ade- 

 quate to answer the demand ; much less so trifling a current as 

 we are warranted by facts to believe there is. For in Cook's voy- 

 age, the remarks on this matter are thus summed up : '' We again 

 tried the currents, and found them unequal, but never exceeding 

 one mile an hour. By comparing the reckoning with the obser- 

 vations, we also found the currents to set different ways, yet more 

 from the S.W. than any other quarter. But whatever the direc- 

 tion might be, their effect was so trijling, that no conclusion re- 

 specting the existence of a passage to the northward could be 

 drawn from them." It is presumed, that all the currents here 

 spoken of were superficial. But even admitting they extended 

 quite across the strait, and flowed the same way throughout its 

 whole depth ; still it seems quite beyond the bounds of possibi- 

 lity, that the quantity of water so admitted, and with a rate of 

 flow so *' trifling," could be sufficient for the supply of the cur- 

 rents constantly setting to the southward, through the other two 

 0}knings into the Atlantic. 



\yo be continued.^ 



ikll. On thejirst Principles of Music. By A Correspoxdent. 

 To Mr. Tilloch. 



StR, — HiVERY lover of music must derive great pleasure from 

 pursuing^ the chain of reasoning elioited by your very ingenious 



correspondent 



