president’s address. 
433 
by the vast waters of the Southern Ocean, covering an area of 
30,000,000 square miles. Over the area, south of the parallel of 
50° S. latitude, a temperature below 32° Fahr. prevails. 
Atmosphere. 
South of latitude 45° S. we meet with low atmospheric pressure 
all the year with strong westerly and north-westerly toinds, and 
large rain and snow-fall all round the South Polar regions. The 
mean pressure being less than 29 inches. But there are many 
indications that the extreme South Polar area is occupied by a vast 
anticyclone, out of which winds blow, towards the girdle of low 
pressure outside the ice-bound region. 
Ross found a gradual rise of pressure south of latitude 75° S., 
and all antarctic voyagers agree that when near the ice, the majority 
of winds are from the south and south-east, and bring clear weather 
with a fall of temperature, while northerly winds bring thick fogs 
with rising temperature. 
Antarctic Ice. — The most striking feature of the Antarctic is 
the huge table-shaped icebergs. These flat-topped icebergs have 
a thickness of 1200 to 1500 feet, marked by regular stratification, 
and presenting lofty perpendicular cliffs , which rise 150 to 200 feet 
above, and sink 1100 or 1400 feet below the level of the sea. 
Their form and structure clearly indicates that they were formed 
on an extended land surface, and have been pushed out over low r - 
lying coasts into the sea. 
Ross sailed for 300 miles along the face of a great ice-barrier from 
150 to 200 feet high, off which he obtained depths of 1SO0 and 
2400 feet. This was evidently the sea front of a great creeping 
glacier or ice-cap just then in the condition to give birth to those 
table-shaped icebergs, miles in length, which have been described 
by every antarctic voyager. 
Bid all the Antarctic land is not surrounded by inaccessible cliffs 
oj ice, for along the seaward face of the great mountain ranges of 
Victoria Land, the ice and snow which descends to the sea, 
apparently forms cliffs not higher than ten to twenty feet, and in 
