High Temperature. 843 



great pleasure of making the acquaintance of Mr. 

 Phillips, Professor of Geology in the University of 

 Oxford ; and, afterwards, that of Sir John Lubbock, 

 and Professor Tyndall, who had come to Naples on 

 purpose to see the eruption. Unfortunately, Sir 

 John Lubbock and Professor Tyndall were so 

 limited for time, that they could only spend one 

 evening with us ; but I enjoyed a delightful evening, 

 and had much scientific conversation. 



Notwithstanding the progress meteorology has 

 made since it became a subject of exact observation, 

 yet no explanation has been given of the almost un- 

 precedented high summer temperature of 1868 in 

 Great Britain, and even in the Arctic regions. In 

 England, the grass and heather were dried up, and 

 extensive areas were set on fire by sparks from rail- 

 way locomotives, the conflagrations spreading so 

 rapidly, that they could only be arrested by cutting 

 trenches to intercept their course. The whalers 

 found open water to a higher latitude than usual ; 

 but, although the British Government did not avail 

 themselves" of this opportunity for further Arctic dis- 

 covery, Sweden, Germany, France, and especially 

 the United States, have taken up the subject with 

 great energy. Eight expeditions sailed for the North 

 Polar region between the years 1868 and 1870; 

 several for the express purpose of reaching the 



