Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-02
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Frsm the French Papers.l
ON THE ENGLISH EXPEDITION TO
THE No QrH POI

THE NORTH POLE.
Seine English writers have already INDUCED
themselves IN illnsory conjectnres on this en-
terprise; they describe Greenland as bursting
from the icy barrier which surrounds il. They
repeat the Evolutionary reports of the la
century. respecting some whale ships. said 10
have reached the Pole, and even 10 have PASS
ed on The other side of it. They presume to
doubt the existence of land To the north of
Bath 5 Bay, although Baffin was the best H.
formed and most iddcious seaman England
could boast offs and they even fatter them
se;y 3, that commerce will Ne carried on i'm a
di,ect route from London to Canton, by The
Pole, which makes distance OF ONLY 1900
nautical leagues, whilst thar by the Cape of
Good Hope is ) $40 leagnc-.
Two men, however, Of great authority, do
not paliciDate in these exaggerated anticipa-
tions. Mir. Scoresb,, IN experienced Green
, land Captain, THINKS, that the Polar Seas are
blocked BY ice, and proposes a journey to the
Pole, by means OF sledces drawn by reindeer
Captain Buney, who accompanied The irnmor-
tai Cook, has published pamphlet in which
he proves clearly, tkat there exists large
extent OF land to the north of Behring's strait;
he goes toe far in supposing that This and
probably ul'ites the two continents of ASIA aud
America but ii is very certain, that his .rgu-
mcHt' are sufficient IL contradict tie opinion
OF the existence of an open sea
The gratitude which the English Govern
inert me'its from every friend to science,
ought not 10 prevent us from examining upon
what foundation their hopes OF success in this
justice dHe 10 ihP Commanders OF the ExpeGi-
tiCn, 10 point oEt beforehand the immense OBJ
stacles AGAINST which they have TO contend,
FIXED and Heating ices may be considered as
tho fast q these difficulties. Admitting for
moment The uDR-eAistence of a polar continent
that 6rerQ,aud. New Siberia, that The land TO
the Ne,:Ef.- at Behring's Strait, md The land
seen al, eoasted By Bafiju, are in reality bat
four lslandS.tas the maps of the 10Th century
appear TO represent ihcm.J yet il is very pro
babie, that thu narrow which separate
them, are constantly choaked with ice. Cap
tain Score>by observed the ice form itself in
the open sea, at more than twenty leagues
from the coast of SpiIZaergen and masse. of
ice arise from tie bed Of The sea thus then
tae principal argument in favor of an open sea
IS considerably weakened il will be in vain
for them toreiy upon the removal of barrier
ct ice, shaken by an earthquake, or broken by
the strength of the currents. The lea itself
freezes. notwithstanding the assertions Of Mr..
ID. Darlington. This truth once proved, eter-
VA! variations In the state of the polar sea MAY
be expected.
From, the year 1000 to 1850, the most san.
guine hopes were entertained of penetrating
70 the Pole; eteyery authenticated effort 10
this effect, proves all eXertion to have been
terminated lay hXed ice, which arrested the
nayigator's further pursuit or, by floating
masses OF it, which threatenin. 10 nverwhe lnt
them, compelled them 10 desist from their
courageous eRtcrprize Captain Woud, who
confidently believed the possibility of a pas
sage to the North, was opposed 6v a conii,ic [
OF ice, which united Nova ZeInbia Spitzbpr.
gen, and Greenland Captain Scatter on the
contrary, cOnt,HHcd his route 10 ~ deg. GIN
liz calm open channel bat the ice on each
side, Deginning TO connect, the dread of uciny
blocked mp, obliged him To abandon his Dur.
p0ge. The adventurous Battiu was able once
to nayigate the sea, which hears his name ;
but 1t has since been frequently found that Ills
sea was filled with numerous islands some OF
which were 100 lea .ucS in circumference and
nearly 400 feet high Perhaps Jares's island
noted ia several charts. was itself one of these
masses OF ice. Captain Wafer frankly confess
SEES that he InlstOok these fixed masses OF about
$50 feet ~ height for real Islands Even tie
floating ice is often covered with large stones
aud trees torn mp by the roots, which appear.
ance produces the idea of land II IS yery
uncertain whether the Dutch dscoyered 10
the east ut SpItzbeTgeD, Il tract Of land or only
mass of ice IN one of their VOYAGES In The
north Of Nova ZembIa, they found bank Of
blucish ice, covered with soil, on which bird,
bad built their nests. Hat a century ago, tA o
islands of ice were seen to fix themselves in the
Bay o. Disco; the Dutch whales ips visited
and assigned them name. The same citcnIn-
stance took place about Iceland.
Mr.. SCore6by informs ~, that the water Of
the sea OfSplizbergeu contains nuly i o. Of
salt IN gallon Of 23I calinChes; its ,,ei~lt
is to pure water as ,02G0, and il freezes IN
cold Of deg by thermometer cCHfi qrade
TINS Il Is probable, that tH the polar nights
that ~ TO say during our winter, the Arctic seas
are covered with ice. The history OF different
Voyages f'rnlshes us with proofs Of this but
Jet Tvs 80 nae tic physical discussion
The Giasses OF floating ice arising from the
water OF the sea, and which u dist iluisied bv
It's porous conjecture towing 10 tn- miN tnte #
the volatile quantities IT plants sink 4 5th~ Of
tier thickness INTO TIE salt water the later
being 81 = ffeckiUg state. The masses formed
ofiresh water hapea great density, and more
transparency. $50. ScOTes ~ made bnsrInr
glasses trciu pieces Of It and lighted the pipes
ofthe Astonished sailors These bodies sink 10.
lGths Of tnyir thickness, below tie surface-
II appears certain, that the bays an6 sttaiis Of
th Posaf sea- mot geneuaHy very drcp) are
oitcn CDStTucifd by tnrsr M isses resting III the
bottom. TIE aoatin. ices present uh,iaclts
not less refOubtdBie. The ca IcHssious ot these
7adsses pTOduce tremendous uosc, which
arms the navigator with wbat facility his vcs.
SCI wouid b. daghe1 H. pieces ;fhc were plac.
fC fctwcon tw0, Of reSe IMMENSE hOatin is
in III. y is eve! asserted that the wooi caf-
RED 40 hs Tie currents kiodle by the violent
COLLISION, caused bt the motion Of tie ice aud
liws ara -inOSe arise amidst tie gloom of
eternal Tijftr--PifCes Of wood have been OF.
l.,r.ff affr esfreuifie- ,ytt.9af fI,r