NATURAL HISTORY. 



555 



that is necessary in low tempera- 

 tures for the formation of ice^ is 

 still water : here then, it is ob- 

 tained. In every opening of the 

 ice at a distance from the sea, the 

 water is always as sinooth as that 

 of a harbour ; and as I have ob- 

 served the growth of ice up to a 

 foot in thickness in such a situ- 

 ation, during one month's frost, 

 the effect of many years we might 

 deem to be sufficient for the for- 

 mation of the most ponderous 

 fields. 



Tliere is no doubt, but a large 

 quantity of ice is annually gene- 

 rated in the bays, and amidst the 

 islands of Spitzbergen : which 

 bays, tOAvards the end of summer, 

 are commonly emjitied of their 

 contents, from the thawing of the 

 snow on the mountains causing a 

 current outwards. But tliis will 

 not account for the immense fields 

 which are so abundant in Green- 

 land. These evidently come from 

 the northward, and have their 

 origin between Spitzbergen and 

 the Pole. 



On the Generation of Fields. 



As strong winds are known to 

 po.ssess great influence in drifting 

 ofiF the ice, where it meets with 

 the least resistance, may they not 

 form openings in the ice far to the 

 north, as well as in latitudes within 

 our observation r Notwithstand- 

 ing the degree in which this cause 

 nviy prevail is uncertain, yet of 

 th^s we are assured, that the ice on 

 the west coast of Spitzbergen, has 

 ahvays a tendency to drift, and 

 actually does advance in a surpris- 

 ing manner to the south or south- 

 west ; whence some vacancy must 

 assuredly be left in the place which 

 it formerly occujned. 



These openings, therefore, may 

 be readily frozen over, whatever 

 be their extent, and the ice may 

 in time acqiiire all the characters 

 of a massy field. 



It must, however, be confessed, 

 that from the density and transpa- 

 rency of the ice of fields, and the 

 purity of tl^e water obtained there- 

 from, it is difficult to conceive 

 that it could possess such charac- 

 ters if fi-ozen entirely from the 

 water of the ocean ; — jjarticularly 

 as young ice is generally found to 

 be porous and opaque, and does 

 not afford a pmc solution. The 

 succeeding theory, therefore, is 

 perhaps more consonant to ap- 

 pearances ; and although it may 

 not be established, has at least 

 probability to recommend it. 



It appears from what has been 

 advanced, that openings must oc- 

 casionally occur in the ice between 

 Spitzbergen and the Pole, anr' 

 that these openings will in all pro- 

 bability, be again frozen over. 

 Allowing, therefore, a thin field 

 or a field of bay-ice to be therein 

 formed, a superstructure may 

 ))robably be added by the follow- 

 ing process. The frost, which 

 constantly prevails during nine 

 months of the year, relaxes to- 

 wards the end of June or the be- 

 ginning of July, whereby ihe co- 

 vering of snow, annually deposited 

 to the depth of two or three feet 

 on the ice, dissolves. Now, as 

 this field is supposed to arise 

 amidst the older and heavier ice, 

 it may readily occupy the whole 

 interval, and be cemented to the 

 old ice on every side ; whence the 

 melted snow has no means of 

 escape. Or, whatever be the 

 means of its retention on the sur- 

 face of the young field, whether 



by 



