WATER AND THE OCEAN. . 95 



Nairne's experiments, the ice was generated on the furface, and was^ lce 



feen fhooting cryilals downwards 3 which evidently evinces, in my 

 opinion, that ice is there formed or generated where the intenfeft, 

 cold is i as the air fooner cools the furface, than the depth of the 

 ocean, the ice fhoots naturally downwards, and cools the ocean- 



more 



and more, by which it is prepared for further congelation. I 

 fuppofe, however, that this h-appens, always during calms, which. 



are 



not uncommon in high latitudes, as we experienced 



late expedition. Nor does land feem abfolutely necelTary in order, 

 to fix the ice y for this may- be done with as much eafe and pro- - 

 priety to the large ice-mountains, which remain undifTolved float- 

 ing in the ocean in high latitudes : or it may, perhaps, not be impro- 

 per to fuppofe, that the whole Polar region, from 80^ and upwards, 

 in the Southern hemifphere, remains a folid ice for feveral years to- 

 gether, to which yearly a new circle of ice is added, and of which, 



_r 



however, part is broken off by the winds, and the return of • the 

 mild feafon. Wherever the ice floats in. large maflxjs, and fome- 

 times in compad. bodies formed of an infinite number of fmall 

 pieces, there it is by no means difficult to freeze the whole into 

 one piece, for, amongfl the ice, the v/ind has not a povv^er of raif- 

 ing high and great waves.. This circumfliance was not entirely un- 

 known to tjie ancients ; and It is probable they acquired this infor- 

 mation from the natives of ancient Gaul, and from the Britons^ 



%>^. 



an '^ 



S.'W 



