Page:Physical Geography of the Sea and its Meteorology.djvu/476

450 obtain from comparing together the relative speed of vessels as they sail to and fro upon intertropical seas!

838. Indications which the winds afford concerning the unexplored regions of the south.—Such is the picture which, after no little labour, much research, and some thought, the winds have enabled us to draw of certain unexplored portions of our planet. As we have drawn the picture, so, from the workings of the meteorological machinery of the southern hemisphere, we judge it to be. The evidence which has been introduced is meteorological in its nature, circumstantial in its character, we admit; but it shows the idea of land in the antarctic regions—of much land, and high land—to be plausible at least. Not only so: it suggests that a group of active volcanoes there would by no means be inconsistent with the meteorological phenomena which we have been investigating. True, volcanoes in such a place may not be a meteorological necessity. We cannot say that they are; yet the force and regularity of the winds remind us that their presence there would not be inconsistent with known laws. According to these laws, we may as well imagine the antarctic circle to encompass land as to encompass water. We know, ocularly, but little more of its topographical features than we do of those of one of the planets; but, if they be continental, we surely may, without any unwarrantable stretch of the imagination, relieve the face of nature there with snow-clad mountains, and diversify the landscape with flaming volcanoes. None of these features are inconsistent with the phenomena displayed by the winds. Let us apply to other departments of physics, and seek testimony from other sources of information. None of the evidence to be gathered there will appear contradictory—it is rather in corroboration. Southern explorers, as far as they have penetrated within the antarctic circle, tell us of high lands and mountains of ice; and Ross, who went farthest of all, saw volcanoes burning in the distance.

839. 'Their extent; Plate XIV.—The unexplored area around the south pole is about twice as large as Europe. This untravelled region is circular in shape, the circumference of which does not measure less than 7000 miles. Its edges have been penetrated here and there, and land, whenever seen, has been high and rugged. Plate XIV. shows the utmost reach of antarctic exploration. The unexplored area there is quite equal to that of our entire frigid zone. Navigators on the voyage from