The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-26

which of late years has been spread
broadcast, the popular misconceptions
are as many and as great as when
they were shared by itfleS savants them
selves. The average person conceiVes
of the region beyond the Arctic circle
as a realm of cold horrors and little
beside. The scene conjured by such
imagination is one of snow and ice
bergS, Stormy coasts, teInpeStuouS seas,
climate of .intolerable severity, with
gloomy skies brooding over all. OF
course, snow and ice are characteristic
of the Arctic portion of our globe, but
there are limitations astto the ice and
snow, and there are other conditions
wholly delightful propose forthwith
in a few words to present a true Arctic
picture, though it is tha>direct opposite
of ordinary beliefs concerning the ex-
IRENE north.
Here we are, in western Greenland.
1t is July, and midnight. The sun
shines cleaf~and' singularly lustrous.
Its beams seem to penetrate with
mild warmth at once genial and stimu-
lating. The air is almost motionlesS,
and balmy as ON a May day in the
south. The landscape is of variegated
tints, the green of the heritage inter
spersed with frequent clusters of flow
ers in the shelter spots. Butterflies
and many insects wing a merry fight.
Sometimes the mild din of a. humble
bee is heard. Scores of dainty streams
and riyulets hasten in rollicking course
to the sea, the waves of which lie pla-
cid and shimmering. Merry throated
birds sing their prisons to the sun.
There is a lingering line of snow on the
inland mountain peaks, but here at
hand is the buzzing of myriads of
mosquitoS-moSquitoe of a size that
ferocity that would hardly shame the
distant plains of New Jersey.
This is the summer of the north and,
surprising as it may be to most, that
description applies to thousands of
miles within the circle. 1t is the same
hemispheres.
The truth Of the matter is that the
general opinion ascribed to the Arctic
regions, a prevalence of its winter sea-
son throughout the twelve months.
The winter is dreary and severe, though
it has many attractive qualities But
the winter is limited. In May the air
begins to lose its intense coldness, it
even attains TO that moderation with
which we are familiar in the early
April. June, July and August are re-
ally summer months, with all the at
tributes of the season. September re-
Idillo Ol the SdnIG CIIddII,
though only feeble traces are to be
found in the onslaught of cold in Oc-
tober.
During the summer the temperature
is both mild and equable. The mer-
curry stands at about the freezing point
in the shade. The temperature is
maintained even on an elevation of
800 feet. The full force of the sun,
however, is of remarkable effect. Out
of the shade the Thermometer usually
registers something more than 10 de-
grees Fahrenheit Often so degrees,
sometimes more, is reached.
Beneath the benign influence of this
heat, aided by the abundant moisture
from the melted ice and snow. we may
expect and we find fertile areas, even
in the extreme north, where vegetation
is profuSe. Certain protected slopes are
made unspeakably beautiful by the lux
uriance of the flowers. Mountain pinks,
potentfMas, saxifrages, drabas and but
tercupS flourish in exhuberant plenty,
along with the various grasses and Itch
ems. Fields of the yellow poppy are
suggestive of hottest India. Recent clas-
sificafion shows that there are existent
in the American Polar tract, north of
the eighteenth parallel of la titude, sew
enty-five specimens of Towering plants,
DeSldeS une mu1ltude of MOSES.
After an understanding of tine extent
of vegetation in the north, one will
readily believe that the country there is
not perpetuaily ice bound Doubtless
1T will excite much establishment in
many, but it is a fact that as yet there
is no known portion of the earth that
retains al covering of snow throughout
the year. The heights are bound by
their ice-caps without intermission, but
on the sea level the ice and snow disap-
pear for two or three months annually
This is true as we'll of the minor ele-
vatfons-up to two or perhaps three
thousand feet above the sea. Arctic and
Antarctic regions are alike in this.
From all this it appears that the dem
liens of the Arctic countries are not so
badly off as we might suppose. To be
sure, they have a severe temperature
in winter, but it is a dry cold to which
they are subjected, and they are used
to it. For nearly four months they en-
joy climate hardly to be equaled else
where in the world; warm, yet not en-
e1'vating; clear. bracing and altogether
delightful.
MARVIN DANA, f. R. G. s.