Travers.—On the former Warmth in high Northern Latitudes. 469 
and water. It is certainly true that the Gulf Stream at present exercises a 
considerable influence on the climate of the localities on which it impinges, 
but this influence does not produce, outside of tropical regions, such effécts 
as those which would be necessary in order to account for the existence in 
arctic regions of plant forms of the classes above alluded to; and it is 
scarcely possible to conceive any distribution of land and water which could 
result in such effects, in the past, upon the climate of a part of the globe, the 
present climatal conditions of which are admittedly almost opposed to the 
existence of any vegetation whatsoever. Bat if we find that the polar 
regions were those which were first fitted for the retention of water, we 
may fairly assume that it is in those regions that we must search for the 
first indications of life on our globe, the temperature of those portions 
which lie between the tropics, and for several degrees on each side of them, 
being necessarily maintained for a much longer period at a heat too great 
to permit water to lie upon the surface. It is curious in this connection 
to observe that Sir Charles has given us maps (now shown to involve 
serious fallacies) showing the relative distribution of land and water 
which would be calculated to produce, in the present day, at all events, 
the maximum of heat and cold on the surface of the globe, that which 
applies to the former showing the bulk of land lying for about 45° on 
each side of the equator, and that which applies to the latter showing the 
bulk of the land extending for a similar distance from each of the poles. 
On the whole, therefore, I feel that there is some justification for believing 
that the climate of the arctic and antarctic regions of our globe during the 
past geological epochs to which I have referred, was directly influenced by 
heat radiated from it during its secular cooling from the condition of a 
molten mass of aggregated cosmical matter, and that the first appearance 
of life took place when portions of its surface became sufficiently cool to 
admit of water resting upon it at a temperature not exceeding 120° Fahr. 
I do not apologize for bringing these views under your notice, as I agree 
with Mr. Mattieu Williams that it is fortunate for the human race that men 
who study pure science are so far raised by its moral influence above pre- 
judice and personality, that their perception of truth is not obscured by the 
medium through which it is conveyed, and that it is accepted as frankly, 
fairly, and courteously from the humblest outside student as though pre- 
sented by the highest constituted authorities. If the views contained in this 
paper have no soundness in them they will be calmly refuted, or suffer 
death from deserved neglect. If, on the other hand, they are at all sound 
. Or suggestive, they will receive acceptance even from those whose pre- 
conceptions may have been opposed to them. 
