ITS PROPERTIES AND DIVISIONS. 307 



infested with it, and in which the colds are more moderate. For 

 experience has sufficiently taught, that whole large seas are never 

 known to he frozen, hut only the sea coasts, from the plenty of 

 fresh waters that run into the ocean, and the snows melted in it. 

 And the same experience has taught, that there is not that danger 

 from the floating ice, as is vulgarly apprehended, especial!) in seas 

 not subject to violent storms, and in the 6th or rather the 8th 

 month of the year. 



When the nature of this sea, and of its several straits shall be 

 more perfectly discovered, it is not to be doubted but that the 

 whole voyage to Japan may be formed in five or six weeks at the 

 most. But in case it should happen, that the ships should be forced 

 to winter there, this might be done without much danger ; pro- 

 voided they avoided the unadvised example of the Dutch, who 

 being necessitated to pass the winter iu the most northern climates, 

 planted themselves there upon the highest lands, in huts framed of 

 thin boards ; whereas they ought to sink their houses underground, 

 and to heap much earth over them ; since it is scarcely possible for 

 men to subsist in such an excessive severity of winter, unless they 

 shelter themselves deep under the earth. Phil* Trans. Abr. 



Vol. II. 1677. 



We have only to add, that all hopes of a north-west passage 

 have since been completely disappointed from the researches of 

 modern navigators*. EDITOR. 



SECTION V. 



Saltness, and other Chemical Properties of the Ocean. 

 THE ocean is the great reservoir of water into which the lakes 

 and rivers empty themselves, and from which is again drawn by 

 evaporation that moisture which, falling in showers of rain, t'.'-ti- 

 lizes the earth, and supplies the waste of the springs and waters. 

 This constant circulation would naturally dispose one to believe, a 

 priori^ that the waters of the ocean do not differ much from the 

 waters of rivers and lakes: but nothing would be more erroneous 

 than such a conclusion ; for the sea water, as every one knows, 

 differs materially from common water in its taste, specific gravity, 

 and other properties. It contains a much greater proportion of 



* See farther upon this subject, ch. xzxvii, sections tii, iv, v. 



X 2 



