Smyrna times., 1857-06-24
Bayard Taylor in Northern Europe.

oayar0 TaylOr IN Northern Europe.
| The following is an extract from Bayard Tay-
lor's last letter, dated Stockholm, Feb. 10Th
1857.
Imust confess, however, that interesting as
the journey has been, and happily as we have
| endured its exposures, should not wish TO make
ltagaln. II is we'll to see the North, even after
| the South; but, as there is no one who visits the
tropics without longing to return again, SO, |
| imagine, there is no one who, having once seen
Winter inside the Arctic Circle, would ever
wish to spend another. In spite OF the warm,
gorgeous and ever-changing play of color hover
ing over the path of the unseen sun, in spite of
the dazzling auroral dances and the magi gical
| TRANSPORTATION of the FORESTS, the absence OF
true daylight and of all signs of warmth and
| life, exercises at last depressing influence on
the spirits The snow, SO beautiful while the
sunrise setting illumination lasts wears q
ghastly mOnOtony at all other times, and the
air, so exhllaratlng, even at the lowest tempera-
| ture, becomes all enemy TO be kept out, when
you know his terrible power to benumb and de-
stroy. To the native Of warmer zone, this
presence of an unseen destructive force in Ma
rure. weighs like Nightmare upon the mind
The inhabitants of the North, also seem to un-
dergo species of Information, as well as the
animals. Nearly huff their time is passed in
sleep; theI are silent in comparison with the
natives of the other parts of the world, there is
little exuberant gayety and cheerfulness, but
patience, Indifference, apathy almost. Aspects
| of Nature which appear to be hostile to Man
often develop and bring inte play his best ener-
ges, but there are others which depress, and
paralyze his powers. | am convinced that the
extreme North, like the Tropics is unfavorable
to the best mental aRd physical condition of the
human race. The proper zone of man lies be-
tween 80 and 90 degrees North.
To one who has not an unusual capacity to
enjoy the experience of varied travel, | could
not recommend such a journey. With me the
realization of long cherished desire, the sense
OF novelty. the opportunity for contrasting ex-
tremes. and the interest with which the people
inspired me, far outweighed all Inconvenience
and prlVatiOns. In fact, was net fully aware
OF the gloom and cold in which had lived un-
I'll we returned far enough southwark to enjoy
eight hours of sunshine and temperature above
the freezing point. 1t was a second birth into
living world. Although we had experienced
little positive suffering from the intense cold
except on the return from Muoniovaha to Hapa-
randa, our bodies had already accommodated
| themselves to a low temperature, and the sud-
den transition to, 80 degrees above zero came
upon US like the warmth of June. My friend
DIR. Kane, once described to fne the comfort he
felt when the mercury rose to degrees below
zero, making it pleasant TO be on deck. The
circumstance was then incomprehensible to me,
but is now quite plain. can also better realize
the terrible sufferings of himself and his men,
exposed TO storm in temperature Of Al de-.
grees, when the same degree of cold, with q
very light wind. turned my own blood to ice
Most Of our physical sensations are relative,
and the mere enumeration of 30 many degrees
of heat or cold gives no idea OF their effect upon
the system. should have frozen at home last
Winter at a temperature which found veiy
comfortable in Laplsnd, with my solid diet of
meat and butter and my garments of reindeer.
The following s a correct scale Of the physical
effect OF cold, calculated for the latitude Of 65
to 10 degrees north.
10 deg, above zero-Unpleasa ntly warm.
| Zero-Mild and agreeable.
10 deg. below zero-Pleasantl fresh and
bracing. 20 deg. below zerO--Sharp but not
severely cold. Keep your fingers and toes in
molten, and rub your nose occasionally. 80
deg. below zero---Very cold take particular
care Of your nose and extrsmities; eat the tat
test food. and plenty Of it. 40 dog. below zero,
Intensely cold; keep awake at all hazards.
muffie up to the eyes, and test your circulation
frequently, that il may not stop somewhere be-
fore you know it, so deg, belo@--a struggle
for life. -.