may be accounted for without the supposition he makes in explanation of
it. Thus certain warm currents of water may be conceived to proceed from
the north, towards those other parts where the ice has not been seen to
extend so far, and to prevent the formation of it to the same distance;
or again, there may be islands and rocks, to which the ice adheres, in
the situations mentioned by Cook. Both causes, indeed, may operate, and
there may be others also quite equivalent to the effect. But it is full
time to leave this merely curious subject. Mr G.F. has somewhat wittily
remarked, that the opinion of the existence of a southern continent
maintained by some philosophers, though much invalidated by this voyage,
is nevertheless a proof of their great intelligence, considering the few
_data_ on which they could proceed. Some readers may incline, perhaps,
to give as much credit to the writer, for hazarding, on about equal
grounds, any opinion in opposition to it.--E.]

In this last ocean, the mercury in the thermometer seldom fell so low as
the freezing point, till we were in 60° and upwards; whereas in the
others, it fell as low in the latitude of 54°. This was certainly owing
to there being a greater quantity of ice, and to its extending farther
to the north, in these two seas than in the south Pacific; and if ice be
first formed at, or near land, of which I have no doubt, it will follow
that the land also extends farther north.

The formation or coagulation of ice-islands has not, to my knowledge,
been thoroughly investigated. Some have supposed them to be formed by
the freezing of the water at the mouths of large rivers, or great
cataracts, where they accumulate till they are broken off by their own
weight. My observations will not allow me to acquiesce in this opinion;
because we never found any of the ice which we took up incorporated with
earth, or any of its produce, as I think it must have been, had it been