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A7'ctic Explorations. ' 245 



The coast of Greenland at the point reached (named Cape 

 Constitution) appeared to trend ofF to the eastward, while on the 

 opposite side, the shore of Grinnell land stretched on to the 

 east of north as far as the eje could reach, the farthest point, 

 seen being put down in lat. 82° SO', and long. 66^. This point 

 is within 450 miles of the pole. The mountain heights on this 

 (the western) side varied from 1500 to 2500 feet, while farther 

 south, opposite Eensselaer harbor, they were 1200 to 2000 feet 



Such is the account and such, the nature of the evidence 

 which the distinguished navigator has furnished respecting the 

 open polar sea. Taking the facts as narrated, supposing no error 

 from refraction or otherwise, it is reasonable to infer from the 

 existence of so large a body of clear water its connection with a 

 much larger one, since the circumstances of intense cold that 

 would cover the waters around with ice, would not leave a spot 

 of so limited extent uncovered except as a temporary condition ; 

 and the birds and abundant life sustain the conclusion that it 

 was no unnatural event, for, in their migrations with the sea- 

 sons, they are alwa3'S regarded as good thermometric indicators. 

 But admitting that the open sea exists, the trend of the GrinncU 

 land to the east of north, leaves it uncertain in what latitude 



whether on the American side of the position of the pole, or 

 the opposite, or both, — the waters stretch oif westward, which 

 make up the so-called Polar Sea. The open sea may lie wholly 

 on the Atlantic side of the pole, as far as the account fixes its 

 position. 



Under the doubts whicli necessarily rest upon a single investi- 

 gation of such a question at but one point of time in one single 

 year, most persons will allow their opinions to be swayed by 

 general considerations apart from the narrated observations. _ We 

 offer a few thoughts on the subject without attempting to give it 

 a. full discussion. 



The fact that the cold of the globe is dependent on the dis- 

 tribution of the land, so well illustrated by Lyell in his geology, 

 has an important bearing on the question. The inimobile land, 



huried in snows over the north is a fi ' "^ 



while the mobile waters are modified by currents. Conse- 

 quently, if the Polar Sea is an archipelago like tliat of north- 

 ern North America, it is hardly a possibility that the waters 

 should be clear of ice ; we may say positively that the;^ could 

 Jiot be open. Tlie frozen icy lands would ensure an intease 

 ^Id, and a frozen sea between. On the contrary, if the sea 

 is without land for a radius of twenty degrees, that is, within 

 the circle of 80°, and the whole is one area of ocean, 1200 

 roiles in diameter, we cannot assert, on the ground of the facta 

 in Arctic America, that this great body of water would be fro- 

 zen over. The free ingress of the Atlantic gulf stream along 



