1S31.] RECAPITULATION. 239 



regard to the climate, ice-action, and organic productions of the 

 southern hemisphere, transposing the places in imagination to 

 Europe, with which we are so much better acquainted. Then, 

 near Lisbon, the commonest sea-shells, namely, three species of 

 Oliva, a Voluta, and a Terebra, would have a tropical character. In 

 the southern provinces of France, magnificent forests, intwined by 

 arborescent grasses and with the trees loaded with parastical plants, 

 would hide the face of the land. The puma and the jaguar would 

 haunt the Pyrenees. In the latitude of Mont Blanc, but on an 

 island as far westward as central North America, tree-ferns and 

 parastical Orchiderc would thrive amidst the thick woods. Even 

 as far north as central Denmark, humming-birds would be seen 

 fluttering about delicate flowers, and parrots feeding amidst the 

 evergreen woods ; and in the sea there, we should have a Voluta, 

 and all the shells of large size and vigorous growth. Nevertheless, 

 on some islands only 360 miles northward of our new Cape Horn 

 in Denmark, a carcass buried in the soil (or if washed into a shallow 

 sea, and covered up with mud) would be preserved perpetually 

 frozen. If some bold navigator attempted to penetrate northward 

 of these islands, he would run a thousand dangers amidst gigantic 

 icebergs, on some of which he would see great blocks of rock borne 

 far away from their original site. Another island of largo size 

 in the latitude of southern Scotland, but twice as far to the 

 west, would be " almost wholly covered with everlasting snow," and 

 would have each bay terminated by ice-cliffs, whence great masses 

 would be yearly detached : this island would boast only of a little 

 moss, grass, and burnet, and a titlark would be its only land 

 inhabitant. From our new Cape Horn in Denmark, a chain of 

 mountains, scarcely half the height of the Alps, would run in 

 a straight line due southward; and on its western flank every 

 deep creek of the sea, or fiord, would end in " bold and astonishing 

 glaciers." These lonely channels would freqiiently reverberate 

 with the falls of ice, and so often would great waves rush 

 along their coasts ; numerous icebergs, some as tall as cathedrals, 

 and occasionally loaded with " no inconsiderable blocks of rock," 

 would be stranded on the outlying islets ; at intervals violent 

 earthquakes would shoot prodigious masses of ice into the waters 

 below. Lastly, some missionaries attempting to penetrate a long 

 arm of the sea, would behold the not lofty surrounding mountains, 

 sending dawn their many grand icy streams to the sea-coast, and 



