TBAXSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 69 



Mountain,?, nro robbed of their moisture -n-liicli tlicy sucked up from the Pacific, and 

 the heat set fi-ee in tlie process is dispersed by condensation and radiation lono- be- 

 fore the winds can convey it to Labrador. But in East Patagonia and the Falkland 

 Islands, the air, charged with heat received from the heavy precipitation on the top 

 of the Andes, is brought du'ectly thence to the plains below, and before it has had 

 time to grow cold. 



The iniiuences to which is due this great diilereuce between the winter climate of 

 Labrador and of Patagonia are even more marked in theii" ellect upon the ^\rctic as 

 contrasted with the Antai-ctic winter. 



The Patagonian-like climate of the south is repeated iu the north along the 

 eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. On their western slopes, the vapours from 

 the Pacific are condensed into rains for the Columbia and Frazer and other rivers. 

 The heat that is there liberated in this process is sufiicieut to raise fi-om the freezing- 

 to the boiling-point all the water that could be supplied by a quintuple set of such 

 rivers. This heat makes green pastures on the castem slopes of the Rocky Moim- 

 tains, where the buifalo, in herds of countless munbors, finds winter pastm-age. Now, 

 along the same parallels in Labrador it is simply impossible, on accoimt of the ex- 

 treme cold, for a buflalo or any other graminivorous animal to find other winter 

 subsistence than mosses and lichens. 



A still more stiiking instance of the climatological influence of continental, in 

 comparison with oceanic winds upon countries in high latitudes, is afforded by 

 L-eland and Labrador, between the parallels of 51° and 53° N. In both comitries 

 the prevailing winds are <ilso fr-om the west. But those in Leland come laden 

 from open sea with vapom-s, which, being condensed upon the hill-sides, liber.ate 

 their heat and dispense warmth, which gives to that " Gem of the Ocean" its name 

 of EstEHALD. The same difterence of climate, ovtdng to wet winds from the sea and 

 dry winds from the land prevailing at places having the same latitude, is repeated 

 upon the N.W. coast of America and the N.E. coast of Asia. 



The unexplored regions of the South Pole are smTounded by open water ; those 

 of the North for the most part by land. The winds that blow into the Frozen Ocean 

 of the North are continental winds ; the climate there, like that of Labrador and 

 Siberia, is proportionable severe. 



The winds that blow in upon the unlmown Sotith being therefore oceanic winds, 

 there is probably as much difference of -winter climate between the two polar regions 

 as there is between the winters of Labrador and of Ireland, or the Falkland Islands. 



Now then, with these facts and suggestions impressed upon om- mind, let us once 

 niore tirni to the unknown regions of the Antarctic. They are fi'inged with icy bamers 

 abutting, as far as exploration has reached, up against lofty peak's and mountain 

 i-anges. The air that strikes upon their northern face is heavily laden with vapour. 

 Traversing that immense waste of waters, it impinges upon those slopes completely 

 satm-ated with moisture. Here all that moisture is ^\^.•ung out of it. The heat that 

 is liberated by the process is sufficient to attenuate the air in the remarkable manner 

 indicated by tlie barometer, exhibited by observations, and repeated in the Tables and 

 Plates of this Monograph. If we would know how heavy this precipitation is, how 

 high the mountains, steep the declivities, and great the development of latent heat 

 there, let us consult the icebergs — they afford unmistakeable indications upon the 

 subject. The Antarctic icebergs are of fresh, not of salt water. Towering 200 or 300 

 feet above the sea and reaching 600 or 800 feet below*, as many of them do, they 

 literally dot with their huge masses an extent of ocean that embraces no less than 

 17,000,000 square miles in its supei-ficial area. As much heat as it takes to melt and 

 convert into vapour again all these immense masses of ice, is set free on those un- 

 knowTi hill-sides, when the water to fonn them of was vwung out of the clouds. 



Doubtless this vapour ^-ith its heat impresses characteristic features upon the 

 winter climate of the South Polo ; and thus we are impelled by the winds, persuaded 

 by the barometer, nay, urged by the longings of the liuman heart, and encom-aged 

 by the great laws of Nature herself to venture and explore. 



To smn up, the physical featm-es of the northern hemisphere indicate that the 

 climate of the Arctic regions is continental, for they are surroimded by land ; explo- 

 ration confirms it. On the contrary, those of the southern hemisphere indicate that 



* Sir James Eoss estimated an ice-barrier that ho saw to be a thousand feet thick. 



