ARCTIC ICE. 93 



solved between the fiftieth and fortieth degrees. Capt. 

 Mildleton further states that this deluge, or land tlood, oc- 

 curs about a regular period of seven years. Egede also 

 asserts from his own knowledge, that the ice bergs are 

 pieces of the ice mountains on the land, whence they are 

 torn by land floods, and carried out to sea. 



Now as to Capt. Middleton's opinion, the account of 

 the periodical deluge will to some appear rather apocry- 

 phal ; and as to the bergs being formed in the inlets and 

 firths, it is equally doubtful, as they are either forced into 

 those situations by the stream of tide externally from north 

 and north-west ; or are driven doAvn from the internal seas 

 in the northern parts of Greenland, into some of those 

 numerous firths, or rather straits, where their enormous 

 bulk frequently causes an obstruction to the current, until 

 the waters increase to such power as to drive every thing 

 before them. Capt. Middleton's second assertion also is not 

 supported by fact, as these ice bergs are constantly moving- 

 southward to be dissolved, are in continual diminution, 

 and few of the immense numbers annually seen are re- 

 cognized in the succeeding years, the whole of those that 

 pass the latitude of Reef KoU regularly undergoing dis- 

 solution. 



The opinion of Egede is probably accurate, so far 

 as he has been an eye-witness. It is hkely that the ice 



