POLAR ICE-CAPS AND SEA LEVELS. 355 



though I don't say that so much is impossible 

 at the South Pole, but only that it seems im- 

 probable. It is, however, barely possible that the 

 absolutely different view taken by Mr. Croll may 

 be true.- It is also possible that the land may 

 slope up to the South Pole, so that there may be 

 no ice at all upon it. We really do want to know 

 something about the South Pole. A memorial was 

 recently, as you will remember, sent to Government 

 asking them to assist in equipping an Antarctic 

 expedition. The request has not been granted, 

 but I think we may expect that Government will 

 yet see their way to it. We are encouraged all the 

 more, because we are assured it would be much 

 easier to drive a hansom up the hill of the South 

 Pole than up the hill to our University. The hill 

 of the South Polar ice-surface is, in all proba- 

 bility, (?) not more than a quarter of a degree, so 

 that one should easily drive up it ! Ross believed 

 that if he could have found winter quarters there he 

 could have walked over the Pole. If you once get 

 ships up the coast there (pointing to the chart) 

 where Ross was, and get them comfortably frozen 



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