350 POPULAR LECTURES AND ADDRESSES. 



The subsidiary centre over Melville Sound also 

 shows a temperature of 35 F., and is in the 

 same position as on the annual map. That over 

 Siberia is farther to south and east, being now over 

 Werchojausk, lat. 67 N., long. 134 E., and is of 

 great intensity, the mean January temperature of 

 Werchojausk, taken over four years, being 60 F. 



" In July the lowest observed mean in the polar 

 area is 35 F. No separate areas of low tempera- 

 ture appear, the coldest region to the north of Asia 

 being in the Kara Sea, east of Nova Zembla. 

 Low temperatures, 30 F. to 35 F., persist over 

 Mclville Sound, probably on account of the south- 

 erly direction of the ice-drift." 



Under this condition it is perfectly clear that if 

 the circulation of water from the rest of the ocean 

 into the Arctic Sea were stopped, that sea would 

 get filled up with solid ice, which would get thicker 

 and thicker until we should have a prodigious ice- 

 cap in the northern polar regions. We don't know 

 if there was ever such a thing ; but I hope geo- 

 logists will find it out, and I sec no reason why 

 their ingenuity, and their skilful and laborious 



