^ Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 11 



The circumstances which appear to me to favour its pro- 

 duction, I shall arrange under the following heads : 



First, Intense cold. 



Second, A state of rest. 



Third, The falling of crystallized snow and hail-stones. 



Fourth, The separation of ice from the bottom of the 

 ocean. 



And first, with regard ta intense cold. Any one at all 

 acquainted with these rigorous climes must allow, that there is 

 Jiere an abundance of this the most essential of all requisites* 

 During the winter season, which usually .continues for nine 

 months, the spirit thermometer is commonly found to stand at 

 50. Quicksilver freezes into a solid mass; consequently, the 

 cold which then prevails must exceed 71 degrees, or 39 be- 

 low the commencement of Fahrenheit's scale; a degree of 

 natural cold which, I believe, is rarely exceeded. Wine, and 

 .even ardent spirits,* become converted into a spongy mass of 

 ice ; even the " living forests" do not escape, the very sap of 

 the trees being frozen ; and which, owing to the internal ex- 

 pansion which takes place in consequence, occasionally burst 

 with tremendous noise. 



Now it is proved by experiments, that when the thermome- 

 ter falls to 27, other circumstances being favourable, that a 

 pellicle of ice will be formed on the surface of sea-water. How 

 then, I would ask, is the excess of cohl between 27 and 50, 

 exerting itself? Are we to suppose that it floats passively along 

 die chilled surface of the ocean without exerting any frigorific 

 influence? This would be in direct opposition to one of the 

 most generally established laws of caloric, that of diffusing 

 itself among bodies until an equilibrium of temperature is es- 

 tablished. But it may be said, that no ice can be formed until 

 the whole mass of fluid is reduced to the temperature of 35, f 

 or that point at which sea-water begins to expand. If, how- 

 ever, this intense cold continues a sufficient length of time to 

 affect the .entire body of fluid, this objection must, I conceive, 

 fall to the ground. Now, any one who considers for a moment 

 the duration of the tedious and dreary Arctic winter, must, 

 I should think, allow that there is more than sufficient time 

 for the whole mass to become cooled down considerably below 

 .this temperature. This effect will of course be much more 



* By this I mean, of course, common spirits. 



f I have said 35*, presuming that sea-water Will begin to expand thc- 

 same number of degrees above its freezing poiat that common water does ; 

 but of this I am not. certain. 



C2 



