Eastern times., 1856-03-06
The Polar Sea.

The Polar Sea.
A writer in :he Buffalo Express, quotes an
thenIlc documents To prove, that whatever may
be said of the alternate closing and openieg Of
the Polar Sea, it was not only open, but sailed
upon, more than one hundred years ago. Here
is what he says
The return Of the expedition sent north to-
seek for DR.. Kane aud his party, that had been
long lost amid Arctic ice, has ouce more d.
rectej public attention 10 thai region Of cold ;
and we see 1t mentioned that the chef discos-
cry made by this expedition, is that the sea is
open TO a great extent 10 The north Of the re-
gions where all The Polar Expeditions have
been stopPed by ice, and some Of Them lost.
This fact is one OF interest, but its impor-
tltcs can only fully seen By connecting it
with what was before knu~n upon This sui-
jec, and which this new observdlIon 20 we'll
confirms.
That The sea is constantly unfruz7n FIR a
great distance around the Nurlh geographical
pole has long been believed By ihnse who have
been al the pains To become acquainted with
the facts il the case. The Greenland whale
ships have, brought US numerous accounts OF
heavy sea-swells which they often encountered
from the nurlh-east of Spiizbergen, which could
only come from an open sea and persons who
have resided in Lapaud have testified that in
the coldest winter weather there, a continued
noriherly wind aitoGys produced thaw, which
ceased unly with such wind. Parry, at Mel
vile Island, noticed the same Thing. These
facts show that such wind had come from open
water instead of having passed over frozen
surface.
DR.. Kane left his vessel fast in the ice, in
latitude IS deg. is min. north. He then push
ed his Nay upon the ice in slelses 10 latitude
50 deg. 80 min, from which point The sea was
all open, as far as the eve could reach. This
fact derives much interest from connection with
our prior knowledge upon the same point
1t is now one hundred years since that same
open sea was both seen sRd sailed upon, in this
same latitude. In 1854 Greenland whale
Salp, dS cltSu oH MetCdifs CdtiSu tue Sea
Nymph, and commanded BY Capl. Wilson, il
The latter end Of June, after sailing through
drifting ice from "a deg. TO 81 deg. Of nUrth
latitude, proved 10 have sot north Of al the ice,
aud the captain Then qursusd whales TO lAtI-
luGe 81 deg. l5 miu., where the sea was all
open as far as sight could extend. This posi-
ton Of The Greenland whale-ship is several de-
grtes north uf tie point al which d.. Kane left
his vessel ; ana ii is just one qusrIeE Of de-
gree shuiI Of the extreme point which was
reached by DR.. Kane, by travelling npon tie
ice, after leaving his vessel. The Greenland
Captain was anxious 10 push on TO The geo.
graphical pole, but the superstition Of his crew
prevented.
|, is evident, then, that This open sea is con-
stantly open, aud not occasionally SO, for, al
though we do well know that, in narts Of Tie
Northern Oceans, the quantity and extent Of
yet this open sea is in higher latiiudes than
that, and is evidently open at all times, sccord-
ing TO the testimony which we have upon the
subject. That this may not seem 10 be Con-
lradiciion, We have only 10 recollect that the
latitude Of place is not the chief element in
determining its temperature. Instance Quebec,
whose latitude is AZ deg, and yet its mean an
nual temperature is almost as low as that Of ST.
Petersburg, whose latitude is 60 deg. The
greater extent of land, and of course of frozen
surface in winter, which surrounds Quebec,
fully accounts for this difference aud as this
polar ocean is Of sufficient extent and depth not
to freeze, the wind from its surface is always
warmer than that which has passed over an err
tended surface of snow OF ice.'
c. II------.- ~