280 THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



can we assume with Maury that Antarctic volcanoes 

 play an important part in the economy of southern 

 meteorological phenomena. There is no reason for 

 supposing that active volcanoes have .any special action 

 in determining atmospheric relations. Capt. Maury 

 suggests that we may, 'without transcending the 

 limits of legitimate speculation, invest the unexplored 

 Antarctic land with numerous and active volcanoes,' 

 and this certainly may be granted, for two volcanoes 

 (one in action) have been seen there. But it would be 

 unsafe to infer that such volcanoes are ' sources of dyna- 

 mical force sufficient to give that freshness and vigour 

 to the atmospherical circulations which observations 

 have abundantly shown to be peculiar to the southern 

 hemisphere.' Volcanoes would need to be so numerous 

 and so active, in order to produce the imagined effect, 

 that the whole southern continent would be aglow like 

 a gigantic furnace. A hundred Etnas would not produce 

 the thousandth part of the in-draught which Maury 

 ascribes to Antarctic volcanoes. Assuredly, we may say 

 with Maury, but more significantly, that c volcanoes are 

 not a meteorological necessity.' c We cannot say that 

 they are,' -he proceeds, ' yet the force and regularity of 

 the winds remind us that their presence there would 

 not be inconsistent with known laws.' He believes, in 

 fact, that the steady winds may be partly formed as an 

 in-draught feeding volcanic fires. It is as well to 

 remember, when ideas so wild are mooted, that, as 

 Maury himself remarks, c we know, ocularly, but little 

 more of the topographical features of Antarctic regions 



