The National Register. — London, England, 1818-01-05 00:00:00

REVIEW OF LITERATURE. ON TILL• DETERIORATION OFTIIE CLIMATE OF GKIAC BRITAIN. [Prom the Joinnal of Science and the Arts." 'Cho la't number of the "Journal of Science anti the Arts," contains the following most interesting paper, limn the pen of' Mr Braude, on the Deterioration of of the climate of this country, a subject on which we ail take frequent occasion to complain. Whether we are about to be revisited by those genal gales and warm er suns, which cheered the days of our ancestors, we will not pr,•tlict, lest we be disappointed; but if the accounts be true which have been received from the Northward, we may safely conclude that some convulsion in na ture, has detached those masses of ice, the accumulation oi ages, which have wrought su unfortunate a change in our climate. That for several centuries past the climate of England has midi retitle a very material change for the worse, appears demonstrated by the mo st irresis'ible historical evidenee ; nor Call there indeed 1w a doubt that the springs are now later. and the siiiiimern shorter, and dial those seasons arc colder and mitre humid than they were in the youtlifol days of many persons, and those not very aged, who are now alive. We learn from our old chronicles, that the grape has formerly beet, cultivated in England, for the manufacture of wine, but we now know that even with much care and attention it can scarcely lie brought to ripen a scanty crop tinder walls expos. ed to the In the most favourable aspect; and it would be fully to attempt it. growth in the method of a vineyard, as a stand ard. Of this real luxury of snore genial climes, we have so long been deprived, that we tronble ourselves little about those golden days when Bacchus smiled upon our hills. But what may lie considered as coming inure home to the business and 60,0,11 s of the present generation is, that Pomona is about to desert our orchards, and that on ground where the clustering vine olive thairislied, the apple has of late years scarcely roweled. Indeed we are informed upon good autho rity. that it is now sixteen years since the orchards have af forded a plealitilt crop. It is really melancholy to think that at no vciy remote period our posterity may ill all probability be in the fame situation in regard to cyder, that we are now placed in, in respect to wine ; when the apple tree, like the sine, will I bitty afford a penurious supply of sour fruits, and will be cultivated in forcing houses to supply the tears of the rich. " Lest, however, we should be set down among the screech. owls of mankind, whose race, we are sorry to say, chews no symptoms of evtiection, and who make it their business " to lessen the little comforts, and shorten the short pleasures of our condition try painful remembrances of the past, or melan deity plot:mastics of the future;" we Shill now beg leave to give our readeia a few facts connected with this change of climate. which may perhaps throw a little light upon the siihket, and tend to exhibit the cause of those effects which We has t' jest deplored. " It is demonstrable, that in the nothern parts of our hemi sphere the mean annual temperature is on the decline, and on recurring to die accounts of modern travellers, it appears that ill mountainous parts of Europe the accunuulatiuu of ice and snow is very sensibly increasing. 'this is perhaps particu. lily the case, and easily observable, in the vicinity of Mont Blanc ; and the Glaciers which, descending from the suns. nits of that and the adjoining peaks, invade the adjacent valley of Cliamotiney. arc making such progress as to threaten at no very remote period, to resider the heart of that district inaccessible to the traveller. In a recent number of the" Bib liotlueque de sciences et des Arts," Professor Pictet informs its, that the Glacier des Bunions has very lately advanced Arty feet, much to the dismay of the neighbouring villagers. But if we resort to more northern dhows we shall find }et more alarming evidence oldie great increase of snow and ice and of this, the history of Greenland furnishes perhaps the most remarkable facts upon record. We know that that country, which was probably first peopled by Europeans from Iceland, received its name from its verdant appearauce, and that the original colony continued to prosper, and to carry on an extensive commerce with Norway, mail the beginning of the lath century, since which period all communication 'with East Greenland has ceased, and what was once known respecting it is almost buried in oblivion. Since that period too, the test coast of Greenland, which once was perfectly accessible, has become blockaded by an immense collection of ire, so that till within these few months no vessels could ap. prom+ near enough even to see land in that direction. "'the following quotation flout Fabricius• will, we pre sume furnish satisfactory proof of the great increase of the inland ice of Greenland, and seems particularly apposite to our present purpose. " "Ilte land-ice (Fishrac) in Greenland is one of tbs. most remarkable phenomena its nature, and in extent far ..:xceeils any other hitherto known, running from one end of the country to the other, and covering it with an eternal ice, leaving only some taps of niunntaius. which rise black and naked above it. When you ascend any of the highest moun tains free from ice on the sea-coast a dreadful view is pre • aruted. As far as the eye can reach in every direction nothing is seen but a glitteriug surface, which merits the ap pellation of any icy ocean. " This ice is extending every year, increasing in height as well as breadth, and has alit atly occupied the greatest part of the country. When it meets With high mountains it is checked in its progress till it has reached an equal height, and then proceeds farther without obstruction. Ail expei intent bas been juaile of placing a pule in the earth at a consider. able distance from the line of ire, and that place has been hand occupied by die ice the following year. Its progress is indeed so rapid that Greenlanders, who are still living, re member their father's hunting reiii.deer ;inning naked moun tains, which arc now completely covered with ice. I have myself seen foot-pattis leading to the inland of this part of the country, which are now obstructed by glaciers. It is chiedy in the vanes s that the ice is accumulating, and w here these reads the sea, and the inner part of the bays, the ice projects in large blocks over the water. Part of the it e appears to he eve, and smoothy particularly in the middle, but a part of it very uneven, eloseially at the extremities towards the naked land, sad in those places, where small hillocks have been covered. lint if you proceed thither on the ice, that which seettivil to be even, consists of 'tallies with several strata. There are also a number of rents of different • Nve :waling al da Kongellg Daaske Vidcnakabr:s ScLskah SAro.gll. T. 482. /HE. NATWIST a itt. DEGISTAIL widths, and MO deep Ant the eve seeks the bottom in vain.—• That part of the ice vrkleh appeared to he uneven is nothing 'but projecting hillocks with deep ravines, where it is impos sible to proceed, and whit+ bear the appearance of the sea in most violent motion, instantly congealed*. If you look down into the routs or observe the ice at the extremities, youti nil the lower stratum of a blue colour, which is darker towards the bottom, bet towards the surface the eolinir is lighter, the uppermost stratum having: its natural whiteness. The none of water-talls is heard ins some of the rents, and a thundering sound is frequently heard under your feet, when a new rent is made. On inspecting the extremity of the ice, when it is fanning in low places, you will find it undermining the ground and pushing it aside as if it were by a plough. This detritus lies collected in heaps all along the sides of the ice, like walls, anti at the first breaking up of the ice is sunk into it for ever. In many places entire lakes re filled up ; the ice spares Nothing. The blocks of ice, that form a continuation of the land-ice and project over the water is the inner parts of the bays, are yearly increasing. The sea below throws its waves over them, and makes such excava tions, that in many places large poles of ice are hanging down at the sides, basing the appearance of pipes of organs, and in other places it forms immense al rhes. In proportion, as these blocks increase above and become heavier, and the exeavationa below are extended, immense masses are preci pitated into the water. Many bays are really deep enough to receive such ire mountains. As one mass falls down, that which is behind is carried along with it, and thus one follows the other with a tremendous cracking noise,like a heavy can nonade. The sea, as is easily imagined, is thereby put into a violent motion, and overflows the land to a great height, and this inundation is felt at the distance of several miles. It has even happened that tents pitched at a considerable distance from the sea have been carried away and the people have perished. Boats are also in great danger. " Such masses of ice are at first precipitated deep in the water. and returning to the surface continue tar a long time in mention. Sometimes they are united to the flat ice in the bays by congelation, and thus rumen surrounded by it for a time, or they break in their fall the ice which is already formed there. " • Another circumstance which increases these mountains, is that in smile places there are large lakes above the ire blocks, discharging their water through openings ler !hem. ltmiiid the edges of the lakes are hanging pieces of which in the above-described manner are precipitated into them. They are then driven to the moults of the opening, through which the smaller pieces are carried down into the tea, but the larger ones block up the opening, by s Inch not aonly the water is stopped, but also the masses of ice. The water rising higher detaches still more of those pieces, and the lake is at lest so full of them, that they break a new , channel. Thus the masses that were heaped one upon the other are hurled into the sea, accompanied by a continued thundering noise. The sea is put into terrible commotion, and the inhabitants in the neighbourhood ; when they hear this roaring, expect to see the whole bay blocked ep with ice. " If the ice mountains remain for some lime tender the projecting blocks cf ice (which depends on the state of the wind and the current) their size is then increased, and they rise to a terrible height, assuming the most curious shapes.— At last they are driven from one bay into another, or they advance into the tea and float about in Davis's Streight, till by moving southwards they are dissolved in more temperate la titude. I do not mean to say that all ice mountains in Davies's Streight have their origin on Greenland, for some of them probably came front more distant regions : but I think it most probable that the greatest part of this sort of ire has been detached from the western coast, and from the eastern coast of Greenland, which they call Old Greenland."' " From this and other evidence which might be adduced, it is clear that the quantity of ice in the northern regions has undergone a very considerable and even rapid increase, and we are of opinion that this circumstance is sufficient to ac. count for that deteioration of our climate which we set ont with deploring, and which if the same causes continue to act, is equally threatening to our at present more fortunate neigh bours upon the continent of Europe. t " It now becomes a question whether there are any hopes of amendment; whether matters may not take a turn the other way ; and whether by the gradual breaking up of the ice, the climate of this part of Europe Fluty not regain its former state. In favour of this idea, it seems in the first place highly impro bable, from what we know of the beneficent adjustments of Nature, that there should be no remedy or compensation provided for so great au evil ; but, secondly, it seems that within the last year a very notable relaxation of the cold has actually taken place. East Greenland, as we have before mentioned, has not only been inaccessible, but even invisible for a long period ; but last year it was observed by one of the whalers, that the ice had there suffered a most astonishing decrease; that about two thousand square leagues had disap peared, and that laud was again visible. We learn too from Copenhagen, that intelligence was there received in August last that the ice which from time immemorial had interrupted the communication with East Greenland bad vanished. It is further probable that the process of thawing is going on to a yet greater extent further north, for the ice islands met with in the Atlantic are almost entirely conveyed thither by the southern current, which constantly runs in Davis's Streight, and they were last year much inure numerous than usual—many, arid large ones, were even seen in 420 south latitude in the summer and autumn of 1816, and we think it by no means improbable that the extreme chillness of that season may is great measure be referred to these visit o r s trout the north ; for the south-west winds could not but have been chilled by passing over these liozen masses. We think there is one other remark north recording, though we would not be understood to lay any stress upon its reference to, or connection with the more propitious state of the weather that we now look for—it is, that at the very time we heard of the thawing of the northern ice, and a consequent proba bility of the return of those regions to their former state, the westward variation of the magnetic needle began to decline, and it is already retrograded some degrees to wards due north. t From America. too. we learn, that in catmint:ince of the coldness of the seasons. Indian corn will no longer ripen in New England, and that the farmers hare consequently taken to the culti vation of wheat, which has succeeded so well, as to render it likely to supersede maize. The Diike of Clarence, at dinner gisten him by the Nava Officers. re.iiitent at Bath, lamented the state policy that bad prevented him from sharing tle•ir glories and ;het r and leading 'itch hell!' as those present to victory and re nown. His Royal Highness's last toast was—" The land ut wheat, the land of oat', the land of potatoes, aid We laud of kelt% •—BatA herald. JAW SUBSCRIP'T'ION rOk MR. IIONE. A very crowded meeting of persons trOling themselves the friends of the liberty of the press and Mal by jury was held at the City of London tavern, agreeably to advertisement, to 'nom • • ote a subscription for•Alr• Hone. A few miming , before une o'clock, Mr. Waitinnan, the chairman, accompanied by Sir Francis Burdett, several other gentlemen, entered from the Committee geom. Mr. Waithusin, typo taking the chair, spoke to this effect: —Although lie had now to regret that a person of greater abi lity than himself had not taken the chair, yet he never telt greater satisfaction then on the present occasion, becanse no object could be better calculated to save the liberties ut Ell. glishinen than the object of the present meeting. (Applanse.) He had had no previous acquaintance with Mr. Hone, and when, a few days previously to his trial, he had met him in the street, and showed hint the jury list, lie scarcely recognized him. He had never read the parodies before the trial ; and though he had no taste for parodies, yet he had before this period seen many parodies, hut never before did he see a pioseention for a parody. There was no person who could doubt that, if those parodies had been written in favour of Ministersyand in ridicule of the reformers, bis Majesty's Go vernment would never have noticed them. [.applause.] If the object had been to rescue religion front insidious:Attack', the laws were open, and they wieshl have proceeded in the ordinary course. int he wished to shoe, although he was irregular in introducing any observations of this kind, [hear, hear,] the manner in winch the prosecution was executed mid conducted. When the suspension of the Habeas Corpus was proposed, and VilfiollS papers were referred to Committees of Parliament, a great deal was said to inflame the public mind, and to enrage it, not only against political writers, but against those who were denounced as venders of blasphemy. In. stead of prosecuting—[here the speaker was interrupted by the entrance of Lord Cochrane, which called forth excessive peals of a aplansel— instead of prosecuting alleged 'Menders, as they would have done if their objeet had been sari' as they pretended, they took quite a different coin se. They dragged Mr. Hone from the bosom of his family, subjected hint to many vexatious disti rises, and instituted prosecutions against him, after the coestitioion had been violated, and the most lint* uuQed rumonre haul been circulated to ensure a verdict* for the Croon. He attended on the last day of the trials, and part of the other days, and witnessed the exertions of Mr. Hone in behalf of the liberties of Englishmen. [Applause.] He saiiltbr liberties of Englishmen, because their liberties were founded ou the liberty of the press. [Applease.] He resolved on that day nothing in his power should be neglected to reward a man who hail merited so much of his country. [Applause.] 'this meeting was instituted by a few who had • retired to a coffee-house, and who felt as Englishmen for a man who had suffered so much and exerted himself in a man ner so honourable to himself and so useful to his conutry. He had not a doubt but an intention so congenial to every • English heart would he amply carried into effect, and Mr. Hone AV9IIIII be enabled to support himself, his wife, and his family, with comfort and honour. [Great Applause.] Gen tlemen had prepared rezolutione which would be read to the Meeting. Sir Francis Burdett rose to address the meeting air; ilst au uproar of applause. Those in the remote end of the room. persisted to call upon the Hon. Baronet to stand upon the table. After some reluctance he complied. At length. lie thus addressed them :—He could not but feel extremely flattered by the manner in which they had received him ; at the same time the very few words lie had to sag to then. would not justify so much anxiety to hear him. Bin if he were to enter fully into the subject, lie should take more time than they could well 'lmre: and there was in truth no subject of discussion, for the importance of the liberty of the press of England was well understood. The next to this most important subject, and next only to that subject, was the duty ofsupporting a struggling honest countryman, op— pressed by prosecutions on scandalous hypocritical pre tences. [Great applause.] The resolution which he held in his hand was one pledging their support to a countryman in these distressed circumstances. They owed him a debt of gratitude for his manly exertions in their favoiir.—'they were to express, too, their feelings, and those of the public; at large, (for he believed the public were of the same opinion,) respecting, Gm, the false pretences on which the prosecu tion was founded, and then the oppressive manner in which it was conducted. They were then first. to express their approbation ;next,their gratitude ; and then they were to repay. Agreeing, as he did, with the worthy chairman—and uo man could disagree with him—as to the liberty of the press and the trial by jury, he would take the opportunity of saying, that there was nusolid support for either, without a fair rc preaentation of the people in Parliament. [Great applause.] Without that, there was no security for either the liberty of the press or trial by jnry. To this the people had as good a right as the king to his throne. They were no longer the deluded people—they were now fully aware of theirgriev. ances and of their rights. 'the many publications, written with so much industry and so much ability, on this subject,. had produced decisive effect. So much progress had been made by the circulation of unanswerable reasoning in a plain, easy, intelligible form, that what was once supposed beyond the reach of human power, was actually effected, and the people of England, with one voice, demanded a reform its Parliament. This, too, was the period when it ought and must be adopted. The country was quite alive to the merit' of Mr. Hone. Up to that time they owed him a debt. He said up to that time. They had nothing to do with his future conduct; he had no doubt hut he would continue to act as an honest man ; but for his conduct up to that time he felt in debted to 11r. Hone. The annity with which he defeated (he blushed to say it) the judges and the Court-lawyers excit ed his admiration. [Applause.] In the volumes of state trials,which were usually said to he libels on the judges, none could be found more oppressive than tins. Aeiiiiist this pre. 'relation Mr. Hone displayed a moral and Well, (Anal power beyond all praise. 'the elasticity, the moral and intellectual vigour he exercised was must animating, anal would, he hoped, prove most beneficial to all his comma nwii but par. titularly to every defendant ua ca es of g ately bruughut rider 'emcation, deserved the greatest honour tier his • jitolr successful exertuuus in correcting the list of special juries. accused had been deprived of the great purpose of a trial or Another urelty and oppression. [Applause.] 'flint iiimltvidnal. Personstiibihbonuye-fl. mans couch of a corrupt systenn, and an old, Guru opt, it jury list ucndered the tial by jury au iustrunuent Pearson, by detecting this nnnustrousabtmst., Irad laid Ihue dation of Mr. Hone's triumph. This wus a foretaste of the blessing, of a reformation in general. Juries would now be found, not the tools of Government, but honest Englishmen. —His friend, Mr. Howe Toole, used to say, that the trial by