The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-28
AN UNKNOWN CONTINENT.
rns Antarctic World and It's Mystic
ries.


- o,nlore the Antarctic world, the follow
inc from Good Words aptly describes the
character Of the region: 1.-The ice-bound
oharscter of these ssas is due TO the absence
u " onv brisk surface currants. In the
Hrctic region the Gulf Stream makes its
aniaI Influence felt far and wide, breaking
On the ice and producing constant circula-
ti9n It's true we have very scanty and
imperfect data or the oceanic circulation III
the Antarctic seas.
t,Sneaking in very general te rms, and
onsrt from theories, one thing is certain
There is a steady no 'therly and easterly
drift-current proceeding from the pole in
IA direction of New Zsala I'D and Cape
I'm which is estimated to flow at the
rata Of from twenty to thirty-ive miles a
dsv. on striking the coast of South America
This current bifurcates, the stronger arm
nroceeiiag north and washing the shores of
fIhili aud Peru, reducing the temperatures
Of these countries) the weaker continuing
east and north past Cape Horn. The course
taken by an iceberg is ultimately east
nv north, and its rate Of travel iS
about sixteen miles a day, except in the
locality of Cape Horn, where icebergs take
more northerly course up TO latitude 4O'
south when they resume their easterly dl-
raction and reduce their rate of travel
The bergs, on being detached from the
Mace of their formation, by process /
shall after ward allude to, are hoated away
at rate not exceeding three-quarters of a
mile an hour. Carried first to the west
ward and subsequently to the north and
asst thew are met with, the first season
after their separation, about seventy miles
north of the barrier. tbs fact seems to
proye the existence of what is known as
the antarctic drift current which flows
toward the north.
"Closely approximaJing with the outer
edge of the ice fields we find the deap sea
10 tO CONSIST of 0latOm
but as the antarctic continent is approached
the detritus from the continent dropped by
the icebergs is mixed up with the diatoms
and combines to form deposit of blue mud,
which on examination, shows all the min
eral particles and rock fragments usually
found in the neighborhoad of land. They
resemble in many respects, as Mr. Murray
has pointed out, tine deposits found in sim
liar depths off the Atlantic coast Of British
North America. Thus, taken in connection
with the depths, the deep sea deposits
would enable the position and extent of the
antarctic continent to be mapped out with
a tolerable degree of certainty.
"The permanently low atmospheric pres
sure 90 600 inches) in the Autartic regions
is a remarkable phenomenon in the meteor
ology of the globe; it seems to obtain be-
tween the parallels of 40 and 70' south,
even in the summer months, giving rise to
the most violent storms from the west and
northwes The winds blow in cyclonically
toward the south pole. From the southern
edge of the zone in which the southeast
trades exist, as far as the Antarctic circle,
westerly winds blow with more or less force
and constaucy at all seasons of the year.
Our data as regards the winds within the
Antarctic circle are extremely scanty, but
lit is probable that in the summer months
January, February and March, the only
season i'll which this region has been visited
the winds blow east or west without any
~ prpat conatanpV regularity Extremes
Of weather are experienced in rapid success
sion, and there is almost conSta MT precipi-
taton.
The beautiful displays of the aura aus
trails have been noted by all antarctic voy-
ayers. The exhibitions have been observed
chiefly about or within the latitude of So
south They differ from the same phenome-
mon in the arctic regions, in the length of
the vertical beams being greater. their APP
pearances and disappearanceS being more
frequent and misunderstanding flashes of
X4light-and from their Icing often quite
Icolorless Lieut.. Wilkes, who witnessed one
livery beautiful display, thus describes it:
III exceeded anything of the kind
II had heretofore witnessed; its
activity was inconceivable, darting
from the zenith to the hori-
ION in all directions in the most brilliant
eoruscations; rays, proceeding as If from a
Point in the zenith, flashed in brillia pen
Hillngs Of light, like sparks of electric fluid
u vacuo, and reappeared again to vanish,
Morning themselves into one body, like an
pm. rella or fan, shut up; again emerging
70 fit acrOse the sky with the rapldlty Of
light they showed all the prismatic colors
bt once, or in quick succession. So remark
eble were the phenomena that even our
Sailors were constantly exclai ming in ad-
hiration of its brilliancy. The best position
ln which to view it was by lying fat upon
Che deck and looking up
The 9ba kingdom un6ar Such nm
favorable physical conditions, has no repre-
tentative in antarctic lands. There are
enormous quantities Of diatoms, microscopic
plants belonging to many genera and
specles, which afford the chief food supply
a Ior the marine animals. The diatoms are
found in the surface waters, and their dead
rustules collect on the sea bottom about
the latitude OF 60 south, and outside the
blue muds surrounding the antarctic re-
| gIons, pure white diatOmaceous ooze. The
/ oceanic light blue color of the sea is, near
the pack edge, frequently found to be
Banned by dirty brownish tint from the
organisms Astounding there.
Ct me marine animals prey one upon the
II Nner, according to their position In the
ST %de OF creation, al being eventually
ira punished by the minute ilfusorial organ
ION us ming the ocea in such inconceivable
~ lhoers. On tue ice and in the water are
Vulnerable seals. Three species were OBJ
l. wed by Ross, and they varied consider
ply In their size and coloring. Their col
= ranged from dark gray, beautifully
IA 4aroled with spots and stripes of a much
W HrKer hue, to almost uniform white. The
rgest In size, which were much less
lneTous than the smaller species, were
med with formidable tusks, by which,
n u from the shape of their head, they re-
VI npied the polar bear; and they are
uaiiy dangerous animals to approach.
. 10 largest killed by the expedition under
arch Us weighed $50 pounds, and yieldeI six
ts@ gallons OF oil; it was nearly twe We
long and six feet in circumference, and
. stomach was found to contain twenty
iSA KY pounds Of fish, The middle sized seal
i ;.C the sea leopard from the markings
aus iur, as we'll as the white antarctic
emf ~ are 50 tame that they may be APP
- TTSScued aud killed with IMMUNITY.
neH there are sea lions and sea elephants,
- IN nave been seen in great numbers
'l OF the Horn. The sea lions Of the
0N Iae sex 1ercely protect their young, the
-p, 4os ehdeavoring to intimidate intruders
II" .ner roars Of lusty defiance. T o
TOE ueS seen on them bear evidence of savage
oln1ers among themselves OF the
t ue produce, however, the most import