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pole, enclosing a vast ocean of unknown depth, which receives the rivers that 

 drain one-fourth part of those continents, and which form the belt of ice 

 intervening between the coast and the open ocean. 



In the south, on the contrary, only Cape Horn comes within 24 degrees of 

 the pole, about as distant as Ireland from the north, while the other continents 

 of Africa and Australia are nearly as far from the south pole as the north 

 coast of Africa is from the north pole. 



A wide belt of ocean intervenes between the south capes of these continents 

 and the polar ice, which encloses the Antarctic continent so closely that the 

 coast has been only partially traced through a distance of 1500 miles, and its 

 form and extent is still a matter of conjecture. 



The peculiarly lofty barrier of Antarctic ice could not be formed by the 

 freezing of ocean waters, but by the streams of water flowing from the sunny 

 slopes of the elevated continent during the short summer, and forming plains 

 of ice, resembling the plains of gravel and alluvial soil left by the rivers in 

 warmer latitudes. During the height of summei-, these streams may pour 

 down the icy cliffs, but in February, the thermometer being at 14° at noon, 

 these streams had formed the gigantic icicles seen by Sir J. Ross. 



From the great height and inaccessible nature of this barrier, we can gain 

 no positive knowledge of this hidden continent. But if any future Antarctic 

 expedition were provided with a balloon of moderate size, and 200 or 300 

 fathoms of silk cord, some one might ascend from a boat to such an elevation 

 as to have a clear view over these frozen plains to the mountains beyond, which 

 are concealed from the view of those on shipboard. 



The intense' cold of the Antarctic winter, acting on the surface of the deep 

 sea around this continent, will produce descending currents of cold water, 

 which will form under-currents receding from the pole in the deepest portions 

 of the ocean bed. In one place Sir J. Ross sounded 4000 fathoms, and found 

 no bottom; and the Austrian expedition, in the "No vara," sounded 6170 

 fathoms, or 7 miles, without finding bottom. 



But when this deep current meets with the obstruction of an island, or 

 south cape of a continent, it must ascend to the surface. 



The south side of the Crozets is generally hidden by thick fog, from this 

 cold uprising water condensing the moisture in the atmosphere. 



On the S.W. coast of Africa, Sir J. Ross found a cold current setting 

 north, extending 60 or 70 miles from the coast. 



The cold current also rises on the east coast of Patagonia, where it forms a 

 northerly current inshore. 



This cold current, rising at the south end of New Zealand, is probably the 

 cause of the sea being only 51° or 52° at midsiimmer, when about Banks' 

 Peninsula it is 58° to 60°.* 



* For Temperature of Sea round New Zealand, see Report by Dr. Hector, Apjp. to 

 Journ. H. of JR., 1869, D. 2, p. 22.— Ed. 



