144 THE OCEAN. 
those who thus first broke in upon his loneliness: 
for twelve years had that ill-fated bark navigated, 
through sun and storm, the Polar Sea; and, perhaps, 
unconsciously solving the problem that had so long 
baffled human skill and daring, had even crossed the 
Pole itself. 
But it is time that we turn from the consideration 
of inanimate nature and atmospheric phenomena, to 
inquire what are the living productions that cheer 
the loneliness of the Arctic mariner. Of the vegeta- 
tion of these regions we know little: the dreary 
level shores of many of the isles are marshy, and 
densely clothed with various mosses, which, though 
frozen in winter, revive in the transient summer. 
The rocks, too, are covered with lichens of various 
colours; and a few dwarf flowering plants just rise 
above the thin soil. Nothing like a tree varies the 
scene, but large trunks of trees are brought, by the 
currents, from distant regions, and washed upon the 
sea beach. Some of the Fuci which are common 
with us are found also on these shores, and doubt- 
less many other species which are unknown to us. 
The most’ notorious of the inhabitants of these 
dreary seas are the mighty and gigantic Whales. 
“There is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to 
play therein.” It is in pursuit of these immense 
creatures, and especially the Greenland species, the 
“right Whale” of the seamen (Balena mysticetus), 
that many ships, well-manned and fitted out at great 
expense, proceed every year from England, Holland, 
France, and other nations, into the Arctic zone. This 
valuable animal has produced to Britain 700,0002. in 
