262 ICE IN THE BALTIC. 



Next, as regards the annual sealing up of the 

 Baltic by ice, throughout the winter months, a glance 

 at the map will show how the narrow entrance to it 

 from the ocean deprives it to a very great extent 

 from participation in the benefits which the Gulf Stream 

 confers upon the western coasts of Europe. The salt 

 water from the open sea enters slowly here, the set 

 of the current in the straits being twofold, i.e., an 

 under current of salt water runs in, and an upper cur- 

 rent of brackish water runs out. * The reader on 

 consulting the map will also observe the great number 

 and size of the rivers which descend into the gulfs 

 of Bothnia and Finland. 



These rivers are fed during the summer season by 

 vast volumes of water proceeding from the melting 

 snows, and the volume of their discharge into the sea 

 is therefore out of all proportion greater than the length of 

 their courses would seem to imply. The consequence is 

 the greater part of the Baltic is fresh water, and though 

 the fact may not be generally known is not in the strict 

 sense of the word " a sea " at all. The salt water goes 

 up very little further than the latitude of Stockholm, f 

 The Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland are both 

 of them almost entirely fresh water. Perch and pike 

 are angled for and taken right out at sea in the Gulf 

 of Bothnia, so are trout and other fresh water 

 fish. 



Now, as we all know, the freezing point of fresh 

 water is 32 Fahr., whereas "28 Fahr. is the tem- 



* Maury's Sailing Directions^ also his Physical Geography of the 

 Sea, Edition of 1869, p. 156. 



-j- Stated on authority of captains of Swedish steamers plying alon 

 the Baltic ports. 



Same authorities. 



