Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
It is a curious fact, that the high southern latitudes are visited with a far greater degree of cold than the same northern latitudes. The island of Terra del Fuego, (the most southern part of which is in lat. 55) though never visited except in the summer months, is described as the most dreary and desolate spot in the habitable world. In January (the height of summer in these parts) capt. Cook observes, the thermometer is generally below the freezing point. In this month, answering to our July Sir Joseph, (then Mr.) Banks, Dr. Solander, and others of capt. Cook's company, landed near the Strait le Maire, for the purpose of exploring the country; when suddenly the air, which had been serene and mild, became cold and piercing, and snow began to fall. The severity of the weather prevented them from returning on board the ship, and during the night two of the company were frozen to death -the rest were preserved by kindling a fire. The most southern latitude Captain Cook ever reached, although he spent many months cruising along prodigious fields of ice, was 71° 10'. The most northern point of land in Europe is placed in a higher degree of lat. yet Archangel, in Russia, is the seat of extensive commerce; and North Cape is past, in the summer season, without any difficulty. The most southern extremity of land that has been seen; lies in lat. 59° 30', is entirely desolate, without a blade of grass -and to appearance, the region of everlasting ice and snow. As high northern latitudes in Europe and America are pretty thickly inhabited, and have warm summers, which promote a rapid and luxuriant vegetation. What occasions this difference has never been satisfactorily accounted for. The highest northern latitude yet reached, is nearly 81 degrees--the whole fishery is carried on as high as 70 degrees.- Philad. Gaz.