July U, 1884.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



31 



So far, indeed, as the geographical evidence extends, it 

 seems proltable that there exists within the Antarctic circle 

 an ehrviited region bearing somewhat the same i elation to 

 the grea^ promontories terminitled by Cape Hoin and the 

 Cape of Good Hope, as well as to the relatively elevated 

 region indicated by the islands to the south and south-east 

 of Au-tralia, which the Hindoo Koosh bears to the great 

 mountain-ranges of Asia. We seem to have in the An- 

 tarctic high lands the great central elevation whence three 

 great lines of elevation extend. That the great mountain 

 range which forms the backbone of South America is con- 

 tinued under water, rising again in the south Shetland Isles 

 and Gralja«i's Land, would, indeed, seem altogether 

 probable ; and it may be remarked as a coincidence of some 

 importance that the mountains seen by Ross on the other 

 side of the Antarctic Circle — Mounts Sabine, Crozier, 

 Erebus, asid Ross — lie in a chain tending in the same 

 directiMi. But although we might thus be led to regard 

 the Antarctic regions as forming a great central region of 

 elevatioa, it by no means follows that this region is of the 

 nature of a table land. 



Meteorological considerations have been urged by ]\Iaury 

 for the tl)«ory of Antarctic lands in large masses, " relieved 

 by high mountains and lofty peaks." He considers that it 

 is to such mountains (performing the part of condensers) 

 that the st-eady flow of " brave " winds towards the South 

 Pole is to be ascribed. " Mountain masses," he says, " ap- 

 pear to perform in the chambers of the u])per air the office 

 "whicii the jet of cold water discharges for the exhausted 

 steam in the condenser of an engine. The presence of 

 land, therefore, not water, about this south polar stopping- 

 place is suggested." And he attaches considerable weight, 

 in this connection, to the circumstance that the barometric 

 pressure is singularly low over the whole Antarctic 

 ■Ocean,* — as though there were here the vortex of a mighty 

 but steady whirlwind. "We may contemplate the whole 

 system of 'brave west winds,' circulating in the Antarctic 

 regions, tn the light of an everlasting cyclone on a gigantic 

 scale — the Antarctic continent in its vortex — about which 

 the wind in the great atmospherical ocean all round the 

 world, from the pole to the edge of the calm belt of Capri- 

 corn, is revolving in spiral curves, continually going with 

 the hands of a watch, and twisting from right to left." 

 However, it would be unsafe to base the theory of an 

 Antarctic continent on speculations such as these. And 

 still less 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. Maiirj- sug- 

 gests that we may, " without transcending the limits of 

 legitimate speculation, invest the unexplored Antarctic 

 land with numerous and active volcanoes," and this cer- 

 tainly 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 dynamical force suffi- 

 cient to give that freshness and vigour to the atmospherical 

 circulations which observations have abundantly shown to 



* This curioas circumstance cannot be explained, as Maury sup- 

 poses, by the existence of upflowing currents of air, however 

 occasioned. The total pressure of the air over any region is not 

 affected by motions taking place within the air, any more than the 

 total pressure of water upon the bottom of a tank is affected by 

 motions taking place in the water. There are reasons for believing 

 that the true explanation of the low Antarctic barometer lies in 

 the fact that the ocean surface is in Antarctic regions aiove, and in 

 Arctic regions beloiv, the mean level. The excess of ocean surface 

 in the southern hemisphere indicates an overflow, as it were, of 

 water southwai-ds, which must lead to such a relation. — See my 



'Light Science for Leisure Hours," Second Series. 



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 indraught 

 which Maury ascribes to Antarctic volcanoes. Assuredly, 

 we may say with Maury, but more .significantly, that 

 "volcanoes are not a meteorological necessity." "We 

 cannot say that they are," he proceeds, "yet the force and 

 regularity of the winds remind us that their pre.-ence there 

 would not be inconsistent w'ith known laws." He believes, 

 in fact, that the steady wuids may be partly formed as an 

 indraught feeding volcanic fires. It is as well to remem- 

 ber, when ideas so wild are mooted, that, as Maury himself 

 remarks, " we know, ocularly, but little more of the topo- 

 graphical features of Antarctic regions than we do of those 

 of one of the planets." " If they be continental," as he 

 proceeds, " we may indeed, without any unwarrantable 

 stretch of the imagination, relieve the face of nature there 

 with snow-clad mountains, and diversify the landscape with 

 flaming volcanoes ; " but we must not forget that this is a 

 work of imagination, not a theory which can be insisted 

 upon as though it represented a geographical fact. 



While on this subject, however, I cannot refrain from 

 quoting a very striking ))assage from a letter Viy Capt. 

 Howes, of the Southern, Cross, because, although it relates 

 ill reality to the phenomena of an Aurora Australis, it 

 presents a scene such as we might conceive to accord with 

 the conception of an Antarctic region covered with vol- 

 canoes whose combined action made the whole continent at 

 times as one vast furnace. Apart from fancies such as 

 these, the description is full of interest : — " At about half- 

 past one," he says, "on the second of last September, the 

 rare phenomenon of the Aurora Australis manifested itself 

 in a most magniticent manner. Our ship was off Cape 

 Horn, in a violent gale, ))lunging furiously into a heavy 

 sea, flooding her decks, aud sometimes burying her whole 

 bows beneath the waves. The heavens were as black as 

 death ; not a star was to be seen when the brilliant spec- 

 tacle first appeared. I cannot describe the awful grandeur 

 of the scene ; the heavens gradually changed from murky 

 blackness till they became like livid fire, reflecting a lurid, 

 glowing brilliancy over everything. The ocean appeared 

 like a sea of vermilion lashed into fury by the storm ; the 

 waves, dashing furiously over our side, ever and anon 

 rushed to leeward in crimson torrents. Our whole ship — 

 sails, spars, and all — seemed to partake of the same ruddy 

 hues They were as if lighted up by some terrible con- 

 flagration. Taking all together, the howling, shrieking 

 storm, the noble ship plunging fearlessly beneath the 

 crimson-crested waves, the furious squalls of hail, snow, 

 and sleet driving over the vessel and falling to leeward in 

 ruddy showers, the mysterious balls of electric fire resting 

 on our mast-heads, yard-arms, &c., and above all the awful 

 sublimity of the heavens, through which coruscations of 

 auroral light would often shoot in spiral streaks and with 

 meteoric brilliancy, altogether presented a scene of grandeur 

 and sublimity surpassing the wildest dreams of fancy." 

 {To he continued). 



Erratum. — In the paragraph at the bottom of second column, 

 page 9 (last week's Knowledge) for "equatorial circle" read 

 " equatorial coudee." 



The Western Union Telegraph Company at a meeting last 

 month, declared the usual IJ per cent, quarterly dividend. The 

 present quarter closes the fiscal year, which exhibits gross earnings 

 of nearly 26,000,000 dols., about"500,000 dols. more than last year, 

 but, on account of expenses during the strike, the net earnings will 

 not be quite so large. The last and present quarters show an 

 excess of net earnings over the corresponding quarters of last year. 



