398 Miscellanies. 



Everything there would be novel ; and that circumstance alone 

 would be well calculated to stimulate his attentive faculties. The 

 diflBculties which would present themselves to the investigator 

 may be appreciated at home ; but they would be greater or less, 

 according to circumstances of which we know nothing. We know 

 not, for example, whether the Pole is covered with open water, 

 or icy sea, or dry land ; nor do we know which of these three 

 conditions would be most favorable for investigation. It may be 

 presumed, however, that an open sea would be, in several respects 

 the most disadvantageous. In the first place, it would in all pro- 

 bability be so deep that the ship would be unable to anchor ; and 

 the current might be too strong to permit her to keep stationary 

 long enough to make accurate observations. In the second place, 

 if she could not maintain her position steadily at one point, the 

 commander would experience a new embarrassment, as the 

 meridian must extend southwardly, he would be apt to lose that 

 on which he approached the Pole — and consequently he w'ould 

 be at a loss how to shape his course homeward. 



The occurrence of this strange difficulty will naturally present 

 itself as one among many novel phenomena which will arrest the 

 adventurer's attention, and the following observations would pro- 

 bably occur to him on the spot. The time of day (to use that 

 phraseology for want of any other that would be more appro- 

 priate) would no longer be marked by any apparent change in 

 the altitude of the sun above the horizon ; because to a spectator 

 at the pole no such change would appear, except to the small 

 amount of the daily change of declination. Thus, not only to the 

 eye, but also for the practical purpose of obtaining the time by 

 astronomical observations, the sun would appear throughout the 

 twenty-four hours neither to rise nor fall, but to describe a circle 

 round the heavens paralled Avith the horizon. Therefore, the 

 usual mode of ascertaining the time would utterly fail ; and 

 indeed, however startling may be the assertion, it is nevertheless 

 true, that time, or the natural distinction of time, would be no 

 more. This will appear from the consideration that the idea of 

 apparent time refers only to the particular meridian on which an 

 observer happens to be placed ; and is marked or determined 

 only by the distance of the sun, or some other heavenly body, 

 from that meridian. Now, as an observer at the pole is on no 

 one meridian, but is stationed at a point where all meridiang 

 meet, it is evident that " apparent time " for him has no exis- 

 tence. 



