[ 75 3 



This laft evidently proved the depreffion of the earth's furface 

 towards the Pole, which no doubt gradually increafes. The very 

 learned and fagacious Dr. Hooke afferted, in one of his lectures, 

 and brought very ftrong reafons to Ihew, that there is nothing 

 but fea at the Poles y . Thefe points then, being maturely confi- 

 dered, will be found to militate in favour of a free paffage this 

 way, and at the fame time give much light into other things 

 that have been advanced in the courfe of this enquiry, by mewing 

 the true caufes of thofe facts that, at firft fight, have appeared to 

 many very ftrange and unaccountable. For example, if there be 

 no land near the Pole, then there can be no bays in which ice 

 can be formed to interrupt the navigation. Again, the rays of 

 the Sun falling on fo flat a furface, and being continually reflected 

 from the water, mult afford a great degree of heat to the air. At 

 the fame time this will account for the Sun's being feen by 

 the Dutch in Nova Zembla a fortnight earlier than he lhould 

 have appeared, according to agronomical calculations ? \ Many 

 other circumftances might be mentioned, but thefe will doubtlefs 

 occur to the intelligent, and therefore it is unneceffary to dwell 

 longer upon them. 



The great injuftice of rejecting opinions, on account of their 

 appearing, at firft. fight, paradoxical, or fomewhat inconfiftent 

 with notions commonly received, having been clearly fhewn, 

 and the mifchievous confequences flowing from it by various 

 instances pointed out ; the foundation of this conjecture, that 

 there may be a paffage near the Pole, having been fairly ftated, 

 the popular objections to it clearly removed, the general advan- 

 tage (that might be expected from thence) placed in a proper 

 light, and the confidence of all the circumftances relative 



7 Hooke's Poftlrumous Works, p. 351. 

 2 See Purchas, vol. III. p. 499, 500. 



L 2 



thereto, 



