ARCTIC ICE. 93 



barrier, that the descent of larger portions of the icy con- 

 tinent have not before now carried their chilling aspect into 

 southern climates. 



There can be, therefore, in my humble opinion, no 

 doubt on the subject as to the original situation of the 

 ice bergs. During the presence of a perpetual sun, the 

 influence of that luminary is exercised with extraordinary 

 force upon the icy continent, and causes those immense 

 masses to be rent asunder from the continent, whence they 

 are precipitated into the sea, and commence their progress 

 to the southward. Carried thither by the tide stream, and 

 under the force of a strong wind, they move along usually 

 at the rate of two miles an hour, sometimes impelling 

 before them fields of ice whole leagues in extent. I have 

 myself heard the reports of these terrible disruptions, and 

 the noise was as loud as thunder. In their way to the 

 southward these bergs break with similar report, and 

 finally fall into small pieces, and form streams of ice, 

 which the sailors distinguish by their glassy blue colour to 

 contain fresh water, and from them often collect a quantity 

 for supply. Many of the bergs are traversed by blue 

 veins, which are chasms filled with congealed snow water. 



The ragged bergs so particularly noticed are good proof 

 of what is above stated, as they are evidently a portion of 

 the lower part of the continent, which had been channelled 

 by the dissolved snow as stated. The columnar summits 



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