DANGER OF APPROACHING IT. 155 



in others, as in Magdalena Bay, the water deep- 

 ened from the centre of the bay to the large 

 glacier at its upper extremity, and towards all 

 the bergs formed in that harbour there was a 

 tendency to an increase of depth ; whereas, on 

 the opposite side of the bay, where there are 

 no glaciers, there is comparatively shallow water 

 from one end to the other. I notice the cir- 

 cumstance here, as in other parts of Spitzbergen 

 Mr. Scoresby found the water in front of the 

 bergs generally shallow.* But, if this were 

 the case in the bays to the northward, where 

 the bergs are large, the space in front of them 

 would soon be encumbered with fragments, and 

 pile would rise upon pile until the dimensions 

 of the berg would have no bounds. 



In consequence of the immense pieces of ice 

 which occasionally break off these glaciers, it is 

 very dangerous for a boat to approach them. On 

 two occasions we witnessed avalanches on the 

 most magnificent scale. The first was occa- 

 sioned by the discharge of a musket at about 

 half a mile distance from the glacier. Imme- 

 diately after the report of the gun a noise re- 

 sembling thunder was heard in the direction 

 of the iceberg, and in a few seconds more an 

 immense piece broke away and fell headlong 



* Scoresby 's "Arctic Regions," vol. i. p. 103. 



