144 FORMATION OF ICEBERGS. 



that more than seven eighths of its front are below 

 the water line, the glacier will, like an apple pressed 

 down by the hand in a pail of water, have a tendency 

 to rise, until it assumes its natural equilibrium. Now 

 it will be remembered that the glacier is a long stream 

 of ice, many miles in extent, and, although the end 

 may have this tendency to rise, yet it is, for a time, 

 held down firmly by the continuity of the whole mass. 

 At length, however, as the end of the glacier buries 

 itself more and more in the water, the tendency to rise 

 becomes stronger and stronger, and finally the force 

 thus generated is sufficient to break off" a fragment, 

 which, once free, is buoyed up to the level that is nat- 

 ural to it. This fragment may be a solid cube half a 

 mile through, or even of much greater dimensions. 

 The disruption is attended with a great disturbance 

 of the waters, and with violent sounds which may be 

 heard for many miles ; but, floating now free in the 

 water, the oscillations which the sudden change im- 

 parted to it gradually subside ; and, after acquiring its 

 natural equilibrium, the crystal mass drifts slowly out 

 to sea with the current, and is called an Iceberg.^ 



And thus the glacier has fulfilled its j^art in the 

 great law of Circulation and change. 



The dew-drop, distilled ujoon the tropic palm-leaf, 

 falling to the earth, has reappeared in the gurgling 

 spring of the primeval forest, has flown with the riv- 

 ulet to the river, and with the river to the ocean ; has . 

 then vanished into the air, and, wafted northward by ; 



1 It was formerly supposed that the icebergs were discharged by the 

 force of gravity, but this error, as well as the true theory of berg discharge, 

 was pointed out by Dr. H. Rink, now Royal Inspector of South Greenland. 

 Some fragments are, however, detached from the face of the glacier and 

 fall into the water, but these are always necessarily of comparatively small 

 dimensions, and can scarcely be called bergs. 



