of a direct Passage over the Pole. 33 1 



increasing or diminishing the general quantity of water in the 

 " polar basin." In all probability, it remains nearly the same 

 at all times, whether there is more or less ice; that is, taking 

 the ice and water together as an aggregate body to makeup that 

 quantity. I agree with the writer in the Review, that " those 

 who could suppose the melting of the ice to afford such a supply, 

 would betrav a degree of ignorance," greater perhaps than that 

 of not being aware '• of the very little influence which an Arctic 

 summer exerts on fields of ice, perpetually surrounded as they are 

 with a chillv, and mostly with a freezing, atmosphere, created 

 by themselves." However, there is no subject, perhaps, on which 

 opinions have been more at variance, than on the melting of the 

 ice in the Polar regions, as well as where, and how it is formed. 

 St. Pierre went so far as to suppose it was the cause of the tides. 

 But he does not appear to have been a plain " matter of fact 

 man," but of fancv and imagination. 



Others think the ice does not melt at all, or at least very little, 

 even in summer. If ice, when once formed (be it how it may) 

 round and along the coasts of those regions, does not melt at all, 

 there must be a constant increase so long as that ice is " sur- 

 rounded by a freezing atmosphere created by itself," which we 

 are told it " mostly is" even in summer; and if so, we may 

 fairly presume it altways is in winter. At this rate, with the ex- 

 ception of what may make its escape to the southward through 

 Davis's Strait, and to the eastward of Greeidand, it would ne- 

 cessarilv be ahvajs advancing towards the Pole (admitting the 

 land to he the place of its first formation) and close over it ; un- 

 less we can find some probable cause counteracting this effect of 

 perpetual frost. And perliajjs we are warranted in supposing 

 that there exists some such cause. Indeed it seems more than 

 probable, that the process oi freezing and melting may be going 

 on in the Arctic regions on the same body of ice (if of magnitude 

 to be siifficieiilly immersed) at the same time, and perhaps in the 

 winter as well as the summer. 



Water is a compoiuid of ice and caloric. The temperature of 

 ice is 32'; and while surrounded by a temperature equal, it will 

 remain ice. But whenever the temperature of the atmosphere 

 exceeds .'32", and continues so long enough for the body of ice to 

 receive a sufficiency of caloric to effect its dissolution, it will do 

 80. It is probable that the temperature of the atmosphere, even 

 |n the Arctic regions, in summer, will sometimes exceed 32°, and 

 the more, perhaps, the nearer the Pole ; and whenever it docs 

 stifficicntly, the effect on ice is obvious. This seems sufficient 

 to be said on the prubaliiUy of ice ahove water melting in 

 the Arctic regions in summer, if the temperature of the atmo- 

 sphere ever sufficiently exceeds 32". In the winter, as the tem- 

 perature 



