On the Physical Geography of Norway. 299 



The fact of such a transference of the heated waters of the 

 tropics into Northern Europe is popularly but convincingly 

 proved by the common occurrence of finding West Indian 

 seeds and woods upon the west coasts of Ireland, Scotland, 

 and Norway. Captain Sabine relates that in the year 1823 

 some casks of palm oil were thrown ashore at Hammerfest 

 (lat. 71°), which were traced to the wreck of a vessel the year 

 before at Cape Lopez in Africa.* The general direction of 

 the Gulf Stream (only its feebler and reflected part, however) 

 on the coast of Norway is indicated on the little chart before 

 referred to, whilst on the west of the Atlantic a reverse 

 stream marked, " Polar Current'' is shewn descending from 

 Spitzbergen and the " Polar Basin/' between the coasts of Ice- 

 land and Greenland, charged with icebergs, and of course ap- 

 proaching the temperature of freezing salt water. This 

 mass of water spends its cold on America, as the Gulf Stream 

 does its heat on Europe, and finally sinks under the warm cur- 

 rent off the coasts of the United States. 



The position of the red curves which pass through places 

 which have the July temperature alike, is altogether different 

 from that of the winter curves ; indeed in part of Norway (as 

 also in Great Britain) they are very nearly at right angles. 

 The summit of the July curves is found in Siberia, where the 

 summer heat is overwhelming, which is moderated as we 

 approach the shores of the ocean. It is by the amount of 



I the summer heat that the limits of perpetual snow are mainly 

 determined. The part of Norway beyond the arctic circle is 

 of course exposed to the continued action of the sun, day 

 and night, during part of summer; hence the rapidity of vege- 

 tation, and the intense heat which in some places prevails for 

 a short time, — the thermometer as we have seen, rising to 

 84° at Alten in lat 70°. 

 The two sides of the Scandinavian peninsula differ exceed- 

 ingly in climate, the eastern part tending to the continental, 

 the western to the oceanic climate. The contrast between 

 Bergen and Christiania in this respect has been stated in a 

 former chapter. The table-land of Norway forms in all its 



* Note to Cosmos. 



