.266 THE NORTH CAPE. 



degrees, but by July 26 it has sunk to 4 minutes." * 

 A graphic description of the phenomenon, as seen 

 from this point, is given by Mr. Bayard Taylor in his 

 " Northern Travel," wherein he describes with much 

 force and beauty of style, the wonderful splendour of 

 sky, and the impressive grandeur of the scene. 



From the North Cape to Spitzbergen is only a dis- 

 tance of some 400 miles, in a N.N.W. direction; this 

 group of rocky, snow-clad islands, situated between 

 Lat. 76 30' and 80 3o / north, and between the 

 loth and 3oth parallels of east longitude, forms a sort 

 of half way station between Greenland and Nova 

 Zembla. Viewed from these high latitudes, according 

 to Captain Scoresby (a whaling captain, who is still 

 recognised as a leading authority upon matters con- 

 nected with the arctic regions): 



" There is nothing very remarkable in the appearance of the 

 sun at midnight, except that when its altitude is very small, 

 it may be viewed with the naked eye, without any painful 

 sensation; but when it is more than 4 or 5 degrees above 

 the horizon, it generally appears as refulgent as with the same 

 elevation in Britain." f 



Here therefore the reader \vill observe perfect daylight 

 prevails throughout the whole night ; little or no differ- 

 ence being therefore observable between midnight and 

 any other part of the 24 hours. Speaking on this subject, 

 Mr. John Laing, surgeon of Captain Scoresby's ship, 

 the Resolute says : 



"During my stay in this country (Spitzbergen) in 1806 and 

 1807, distinction between night and day was almost com- 



* Murray's Handbook for Travellers in Norway, 8th edition, 1892, 

 p. 183. 



y The Arctic Regions, their Situation, Appearance, Climate and Zoology, 

 by Capt. Wm. Scoresby (the younger), 1849, p. 115. 



