ISG TIE PALMS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. 



because the south polar region is a very elevated 

 continent, rising in many parts into lofty moun- 

 tain peaks. One of these, Mount Terror, is 

 10,880 feet, and another, Mount Erebus, 12,400 

 feet above the level of the sea, cooling down the 

 adjacent region to a far greater degree than takes 

 place in the northern hemisphere. The ice ex- 

 tends nuich further from the pole in the southern 

 hemisphere than in the northern, and icebergs 

 have been seen off the Cape of Good Hope, 

 (about 35° south latitude.) We can easily 

 perceive, therefore, that if a large tract of 

 land near the north pole were considerablj' 

 elevated above its present height, it would 

 occasion a change in the climate of all the north 

 of Europe and America. Suppose, for example, 

 the bottom of the sea, which now intervenes 

 between the north coast of Europe and the 

 north pole, were to be raised so as to become 

 dry land, elevated one thousand feet above the 

 level of the sea, and at the same time a cor- 

 responding portion of the northern part of the 

 continent of Africa were to be depressed below 

 the sea-level, and the ocean were to occnpy its 

 place, the probable consequence would be the 

 lowering of the temperature of the whole conti- 

 nent of Europe to such a degree as would 

 change the climate of England to that of Iceland 



