BUCHAN AND FRANKLIN. 91 



" The first was occasioned by the discharge of a mus- 

 ket at about half a mile's distance from the glacier. 

 Immediately after the report of the gun, a noise resem- 

 bling thunder was heard in the direction of the iceberg 

 (glacier), and in a few seconds more an immense piece 

 broke away, and fell headlong into the sea. The cre~v 

 of the launch, supposing themselves beyond the reach of 

 its influence, quietly looked upon the scene, when pres 

 ently a sea arose and rolled toward the shore with such 

 rapidity, that the crew had not time to take any precau- 

 tions, and the boat was in consequence washed upon 

 the beach, and completely filled by the succeeding 

 wave. As soon as their astonishment had subsided, 

 they examined the boat, and found her so badly stove 

 that it became necessary to repair her in order to return 

 to the ship. They had also the curiosity to measure 

 the distance the boat had been carried by the wave, and 

 found it to be ninety-six feet." 



In viewing the same glacier from a boat at a distance, 

 a second avalanche took place, which afforded them the 

 gratification of witnessing the creation, as it were, of a 

 sea iceberg ; an opportunity which has occurred to few, 

 though it is generally understood that such monsters 

 can only be generated on shore. 



" This occurred on a remarkably fine day, when the 

 quietness of the bay was first interrupted by the noise 

 of the falling body. Lieutenant Franklin and myself 

 had approached one of these stupendous walls of ice, 

 and were endeavoring to search into the innermost recess 

 of a deep cavern that was near the foot of the glacier, 

 when we heard a report as if of a cannon, and, turning 

 to the quarter whence it proceeded, we perceived an 

 immense piece of the front of the berg sliding down from 

 the height of two hundred feet at least into the sea, and 

 dispersing the water in every direction, accompanied by 



