Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-05-21


Their any, and what advantages may a.
rise out of an event which has now &C.
Cured for the first time for several hnh'
dr.d years and the Reviewer enumer-
ates the following, viz,
l. The influence which the removal
of so large body Of ice may have upon
the climate of Great Britain.
: The opportuni,v it affords Of en-
quirins into the fate Of the lons-lo>t CO.
lony on the eastern coast OF Old Green
land. -.
S. The facility it offers at correcting
the defective geography of the arctic re-
eions in the western hemisphere; oil at
tempting the circumnarigation OF Green,
land, direct passage over the pole ano
the more circuitous one along the north
ern coast of America, into the Pacific.
Some curious facts are stated, on Inc
influence of large bodies Of ice, upon the
,emperature of the atmosphere. part'cu.
larly in Iceland. That island is SAID
once To have been covered with iinper-
vious woods and that many places
which still bear the name OF forests, nov
produce nothing but stunted shrubs OF
five or six feet in height. This extraor-
binary change is asclibed to the effect
produced OH the climate by the ne'gh-
boring masses of ice Oh the coast OF
Greenland.
The change Of temperature in Great
Bgi;ain, within the last two or thee years.
since the descent of the ice into the At
lantic, is proved by comparison OF the
meteorological register of the Royal So
ciety for 1905 1906, and 1907, With that
of 1915, 1916, and 1917
This is followed by a historical account
of the Norwegian and Danish colonies
The latter is stated to have settled in
Greenland as early as the year 9ss. The
country is said to have received its name
fiOm its superior verdure to Iceland In
the year l4O6 the ice closed in upon the
coast, and rendered it inaccessible; and
from that time till the last summer all
communication with the colonies appears
to have been cut of.
Attempts have from time to time been
made to learn their fate. As late as the
year 1886, captain Lawenorn, OF the Da-
nish navy, was sent out expressly tor the
purpose, butt is understood, without sue
cess. The opportunity now Offering, IT
is presumed will be improved Even II
the whole of this unfortunate race have,
as is much feared, persisted, it is hoped,
that some vestiges Of their situation, after
the ice shut them in, may be traced.
With regard to the geography, 1t Is
supposed that an opportunity is at last
presented, BY the departure Of the ice.
q ascertain the true state and position ct
the polar regions. Greenland is thought
TO be either an island or cluster OF ISL
ands. In support of this conjecture, IT
is said that a strong perpetual current
sets down from the northward along the
eastern coast of America, and the eastern
shores of Old Greenland, afordins
strong presumption that there is an unir-
terrupted communication between Da-
vis's Strait and the treat polar BASIN
Vast quantities OF Or ft-wood are also ficat-
ed down this northern current, and down
the eastern side OF Greenland, sometimes
filling the bays I'M the northern coast oil
Iceland. 1t is sail hat this wood could
not have grown TO the northwsrd. as not
stick, except that Of a merely dwartish
size, is to be found in growing state
for many degrees below where these log
are cast up That many OF them have
rece tly been in growing state, is ar-
parent from the fragments OF bark and
branches herring to them. They are
Of kinds which are produced beth in A.
sia and America; and are supposed to
have floated down the rivers in those con-
tinents, into the polar basin, and from
thence through the outlet into the north
ern ocean.
An additional argument in favor Of the
insularity Of uld Greenland is derived
from the fact, that whales struck with
harpoons on the coast of Spitzbergen. are
very commonly killed in Davis's Strait,
with the harpoon in their bodies. and
rice rersa. There can be NJ mistake
here, as the names of The vessels. &c. to
which they beI'ng, are always cut in the
sockets Of their harpoons Capt. Franks,
in 1905, struck whale in Davis's strait,
which was killed near Spitzbergen BY his
son. who found his fathers name Oh the
barpoon sticking in the 6sh's body.
The discovery IF northern passage,
which has so often been attempted, and
as often failed, is ssain exciting attcn-
ton, and will be renewed. The Rants
chatka, Russian frigate, under the com.
mand Of captain Golcvnin, whose inte-
resting account Of his Imprisonment in