Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-03-03
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/ TIE must UUfkBcttf il0lHt Oh tue COHtineH
Of Europe, and may be regarded as one
| of the suhlimest wonders of nature. II i.
situated within the arctic circle, 10 Z de
grees 10 minutes north latitude. II ha,
been accurately described by late voya
ger, from whose account the followingpar.
ticulars are extracted;
10 approaching the cape little before
midnight, its rocks al first appeared 20 be
nearly Of an equal height, until they ter.
minated in perpendicular peak; but. on
nearer view, those within were found 10
be much higher than those of 'he extreme
peak, or point. Their general appearance
was highly picturesque. The sea, break
| ing against this immoveable rampant,
which bad wi,bsiood its fury from The re.
| hottest ages, beloved, and formed thick
/ border Of white ffoth. This spectacle,
equally beautiful and terrific, was illumi-
mated by the midnigid sun, and the sha lie
WHICH covered the western side Of the
rocks, rendered their aspect still more tre-
meaduous. The heights of these rocks
could not be ascertaiued; bat here every
thing was on so grand scale. that point
OF comparison could moi he afforded by q.
NJ ordinary known objects,
On landing. the party discovered 9 grot-
TO formed OF rocks, the surface OF which
had been washed smooth by the waves,
and having within, aspiring Of fresh wa
ter. The only accessible spot in the Vi
cinity, was bill. several hundred PAGES
in circumference, surrounded by enof-
nous crags. From the summit Of ibis
1 l. q. 20,
the right prodigious mountain attached
10 The Cape and lifting It's sterile mass to
the skies. ! o the left. neck of land. CO
yered with less elevated rocks, against
which the surges dashed with violence,
closed the bay, and admitted but a limited
view Of the ocean. To see as far as pos
sible into the interior, our navigators
climbed almost 10 the summit Of the
mountain, where most singular land
scape presented itself TO the view. A
lake in the fore ground had an elevation of
at least so feet above the Lowell of the sea /;
and on the top Of an adjacent but less LOT
ty mountain, was another lake The view
was terminated by peaked rocks checker
ed by patches OF snow.
AT midnight the sun still remained Sc
veral degrees above the horizon. and con
tinued to ascend higher and higher till
noon when having descended it passed
the north without dipping below the horl-
ION. This phenomenon, which Is as ex-
traordinarY 10 the inhabitants OF the tor
rid and temperate zones, as snow is 10
The inhabitants of the torrid zone, could
not be viewed without particular interest
Two months of continued daylight, du'
ring which space the sun never sets, seem
TO place the Traveller in new state oil ex
;slence while the effect on the inhablt-
ants of these regions is singular During
the time the sun is perpetua'ly above the
horizon. they rise at ten in the morning,
dine at five or six 10 the evening, and so
to bed at one. But, during the winter
season, when, from the beginning OF Jan
uary, the sun never rises, they sleep above
half of The twenty four hours, and employ
the other halfin sitting over the fire-aIl
business being at an end, and the dark
ness prevailing
The cause OF this phenomenon, as II at
Gects the northern and southern regions oil
the earth, may be readily understood -
The sun always illuminates BALI OF the
earth at once, and shines on every SIDE 80
degrees from the place where il is vertical,
When he is vertical over The equator. or
eoui distant from both poles, be shines as
far as each poIe--and this happens in
spring and autumn, Bot as he declines to
the north in summer, he shines beyond the
rorih pole, and al The countries near that
pole turn round in perpetual sunshine
He, at Inc same time, leaves the south
pole an equal number Of degrees, and
those parts turn round in darkness The
effect is contrary at each pole 10 eur win
ter-ihe sun then declining south OF the
equator. ~. g..
lies Nlaso, the northernmost port Of Nor
wegian Lapland It is formed Of very
iine bay, in which ships may winter with
the greatest security.