The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-11-25
An Open Polar sea-Interesting Lecture.

DR.. Isaac J. Hayes, the renowned Arc
tic explorer, delivered ON Friday evening
last, before crowded audience in the
rooms of the American Geographical So
ciety in this city, lecture on "Arctic
Discoveries. The lecture was replete
with information, and though two hours
in length, was listened to with the closest
attention. After tracing the history of
geography from the times of Moses and
Homer, who, he said, were the first geo.
graphers, DIR. Hayes dwelt at length
upon the question of an open Polar Sea.
He argued strongly in the affirmative,
basing his argument upon the theory of
oceanic currents. Of the flow of the
waters within the limits of the Polar Sea
We know little, but we can trace one
This sweeps along both coasts of Green
land; the branch on the eastern side, af
ter touching Iceland, wheels around Cape
Farewell into Baffin's Bay, where it joins
the other branch through Smiths Sound,
and out from the great Parry Archipela-
go through Jones Sound, Lancaster
Sound, and Hudson Strait. Thus uniting
its great arms, this Polar current courses
along the coasts of Labrador and New
foundland and wedging itself in between
the Gulf Stream and the American coast
is finally lost off the Cape of Florida.
The Gulf Stream and the japanese cur
rent both flow into the Polar Sea, the
former entering by the coast of Spitz-
bergen and the latter through Behring
Strait. Noting the influences of these
currents upon the climates of the ada
cent countries, We find on the Atlantic
coast Glasgow, in latitude So deg. 81
min., parallel with the coolest point of
Labrador, which is chilled by the ice-en.
numbered current of Bafin's Bay. st.
Petersburgh is on the same parallel of
latitude with the southern point of Green
land. On the Pacific coast Sitka was
found in latitude 81 deg. 3 min, with
much the same climate as the European
cities before mentioned. Water, he pro-
ceeded to say, did not freeze except where
sheltered by the land, as it was restless
object. Firmly frozen bodies of water
of any considerable extent were not
known Bafin's Bay and Hudson Bay
were never sealed, and in passing the
winter of 1860-61 on the margin of the
most northerly portion of Bafin's Bay,
with the temperature at forty degrees be-
below zero, he, with his party, was always
within the sound of the beating surf.
Explaining the different proposed and pro-
jected routes to the Polar Sea, he said he
would give the preference to the way of
Smiths Sound. A vessel could certain
y be forced up to Fort Polk, and thence
would be afforded, first, land as base of
operation, the route lying over Grinnell' s
Land, and, second, the opportunity to
colonize party of hunters and natives
as permanent support. Birds, whale,
walrus, seal, and reindeer were here to
be found in abundance. This was his
plan seven years ago, as it was now.
In concluding, DR.. Hayes stated that
while he did not appear as the advocate
of cause or to prove theory, he had
the utmost confidence in being able with
a steamer to reach the open Polar Sea,
and was willing again to attempt it in
the interest of science and for the honor
of the nation. Our government was not
one upon which we usually rely in such
emergencies; yet he had thought that
the government might be persuaded to
lend such an expedition good stout
ship of the many not now in use.
~ Y. Christian Advocate.