50 WAGGON-WAY GLACIER. 



posed resemblance which these fissures bear to 

 the ruts left by a waggon. 



From the circumstance of the sea being of 

 great depth immediately off these glaciers, they 

 are prevented making an undue encroachment 

 upon the bay, and, indeed, from filling it up, 

 which, if the water were shallow, would, in the 

 course of time, inevitably be the case, either 

 by the grounding of the pieces which break 

 away from the frontage, or by the berg finding 

 a foundation to advance upon. At present the 

 warmth of the sea prevents the accumulation 

 of ice below a certain depth, and, during the 

 summer, so far undermines the accumulation of 

 the winter, that large masses fall off by their 

 own superincumbent weight, and are carried out 

 to sea ; so that the berg is thus kept within 

 due bounds. 



The frontage of the Waggon Way presents a 

 perpendicular surface of three hundred feet in 

 height, by seven thousand feet in length. Ne- 

 vertheless, upon so gigantic a scale is all na- 

 ture around, that although of these stupendous 

 dimensions, neither this glacier, nor any of the 

 numerous and beautiful variety, creates much 

 astonishment in the mind of the beholder until 

 he approaches within the influence of the blink, 

 or luminous haze, which is invariably radiated by 



