THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 267 



hand, a carcass washed by a flood into a shallow part of the 

 Arctic Sea, would be preserved for an indefinite period, if it 

 were soon afterwards covered with mud sufficiently thick to 

 prevent the heat of the summer-water penetrating to it ; and 

 if, when the sea-bottom was upraised into land, the covering 

 was sufficiently thick to prevent the heat of the summer air 

 and sun thawing and corrupting it. 



Recapitulation. I will recapitulate the principal facts with 

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

 the southern hemisphere, transposing the places in imagina- 

 tion 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 parasitical 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 para- 

 sitical Orchidese 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 north- 

 ward 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 

 large size in the latitude of southern Scotland, but twice as 

 far to the west, would be " almost wholly covered with ever- 

 lasting 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 



