. Adventures of two youths in the open Polar Sea. popular idea, said George, is that they have six months ofday and six months of night at the North-pole every year. At the pole itself, replied the Doctor, the sun would have but twomotions to the spectator, and the popular idea might not be so far out ofthe way. For six months of the year the sun would be moving in a seriesof circles in the heavens, and then for six months it would make a similarseries of circles below the horizon. There have been interminable dis-cussions on this subject, and much divergence of opinion, and the onlyway to set
. Adventures of two youths in the open Polar Sea. popular idea, said George, is that they have six months ofday and six months of night at the North-pole every year. At the pole itself, replied the Doctor, the sun would have but twomotions to the spectator, and the popular idea might not be so far out ofthe way. For six months of the year the sun would be moving in a seriesof circles in the heavens, and then for six months it would make a similarseries of circles below the horizon. There have been interminable dis-cussions on this subject, and much divergence of opinion, and the onlyway to settle the question will be for somebody to go to the pole andmake an observation. I remember, said Fred, a classmate of mine at college who wasconstantly bringing up a perplexing question for discussion. One of histheories was that there could not be sound where there was no ear tohear it; and he used to argue that if a tree should fall in a forest a hun-dred miles from anything with ears no sound would be produced. AN AECTIC EXPLORING PARTY. 177. CAPTAIN C. F. HALL, WITH TWO ESKIMO COMPANIONS. 12 ITS THE VOYAGE OF THE VIVIAN. He would argue that question at great length, and whenever he gotanybody to agree with him he would shift to the other side and have thediscussion over again. Another question he used to ask was, What would be the latitude and longitude of a man at the North-pole, and his points o£ compass ? No matter what answer you made he would dispute its correctness,and proceed to demonstrate your error. He said he did all this talkingin order to make himself ready in debate, and he kept it irp so constantlythat we all set him down as a nuisance. We used to hope he would goto the North-pole and see for himself, and nobody ever wished him tohurry in coming back. But how would we recognize the pole in case we were there?George inquired. That could be done, was the Doctors reply, by means of scientificinstruments, though some astronomers think otherwise. Captain Hallwas
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