The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-26

mathematical centre Of the frigid zone? And do.
in corresponding manner, the lines Of latitude
indicate the progressive ratio Of decrease Of the
temperature ard other phenomena folio wing in
its train2 II has been the general, and, per-
hals, still is the more prevailing opinion, that
such is the case. i 80 happens that the exped
tons in search Of Franklin, have, most Of them,
extended to attitudes between 20 deg, and ~ deg
n, and only in few cases beyond that. They have
in these laritrdes, found labyrinthic system
of clumps of lands and islands connected together
by narrow channels full of ice AMI glaciers, most
difficult and hazardous for navigation. II has been
generally inferred. il the Arctic regions between
20 deg and "a deg N. latitude are OF 80 dreary 30
difficult and dangerous character, how mnch more
SO must they be further north and under the Pole
itself! So much Gid this impression prevail, that,
when Captain Penny, in 1851, discovered, north OF
sve, and with more animal life than those arms Of
the sea to the south OF it, II actually dsbelieved
at first by many Of the principal officers Of the
1earching SQUADRON; Then, again, when Captain
the top Of Baffns Pay, 1t was said that they did
not appear to give mud promise of Eysan Field and
GASES nearer the Pole.' Others had even calculated,
how much the mean animal temperature at the
Pole must be as compared with that Of sousherly
latitules. In vain did the results of the memorable
journeys of Sir Edward Parry. Wrangell, Apjou,
and Others point to The falacy Of such vicws.-the
Pary's journey to the North Pole was under
taken, ms is well known, on the suppo-
stiSn that Captain Phpp's "@ p5 or heavy
further he went up the less indication of it could
be eeen;" and at last. under the highest latitude
reached, namely, 80 deg. 40 min. 20 rec. lat one
time probably, 40 min }, $50 small WAS the ice
around them, that they were obliged to halt for the
night, at A. M. on the 18th, being upon the only
piece in sight, in any direction which they could
venture to trust the boats while they rested. Such
was the ice in latitude e2S degs" So wrangell and
Anjou, the higher they went the they were in
finding at last the wide unreasonable ocean" be-
fore them.
Dr.. Kane's discovery is a full confederation Of
what is indicated in the foregoing, namely, that
towards the North Pole the temperature, animal
and vegetable life, the open state Of the sea, &c.,
90 not uniformly or regularly decrease; in short,
that these features of the Arctic regions depend
much less on latitude than on the c0nfguration,
extent and arrangement of land and water and the
oceanic currents Thus an extensive sea, exposed
to the mighty currents running from the Siberian
shores into the Atlantic will, even under the Pole
itself, be clearer OF ice and more openit will pos
sess temperature higher orgauic life more de-
veloped and abundant than the ice bound, choked
up labyrinth Of the chief scene OF the Franklin
search, 20 dogs. s. of the North Pole.
Thus, the only Polar Sea accessible by vessels, and
undoubtedly as fit for navigation as Bafin's Bay,
mains that leyond Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla.
What significant lesson does Dr. Kane's iventurous
voyage again convey By almost superhuman ef-
forts he only reached s2a deg. of latitude while by
the ship he could not possibly get further than 7s2
Sea of Spitzbergen, has been reached again and
again, in former as we'll AZ in recent times, with
comparative ease. And nothing is more natural, for
in the Spitzbergen Sea ice navigation only com
mences about the same latitude where DR.. Kanes
vessel came to full stop-namely, between 70 deg.
and 70 deg North latitude. This very summer seve-
raj Norwegian whalers- among others the schooner
AClus, from Bergen-have reached the latitude Of
50 deg north Of Spitxbergen, where they were most
successful in the fishing. The Aolus became full in
two or three days, and reached Bergen from that
high latitude, 50 deg, in eleven days!
Ny views on Arctic geography, first submitted to
public notice in the Atheneum nearly four years
ego, have not only not been controverted, but more
and more corroborated by recent research; and !
through the Sea Of Sptzbergen the North Pole will
one day be reached, and that with much less
danger and difficulty than has attended most Arc
tic voyages that have not got beyond the latitude of
IS deg. N.