318 Voyages of Discovery and Survey. 



sionally eject ashes and cinders in the manner of numerous other 

 great volcanic vents, scattering the finer ash around, much of it borne 

 by the winds to great distances. The form itself of the mountain 

 points to the ejection of such substances, its conical shape being the 

 result of their accumulation immediately around the chief vent. 



By consulting the notices of soundings obtained by Sir James Ross 

 off this land, we find a green mud frequently mentioned. For about 

 450 miles this green, muddy bottom seems common from Victoria 

 Land along the great icy bariier. The same kind of bottom extends 

 beyond it, and some detached portions of the icy barrier are men- 

 tioned as aground upon it in 1560 feet of water, 60 miles from the 

 edge of the barrier, and 200 miles from the land. When we consider 

 that the fine detritus so commonly borne down by great rivers in the 

 temperate and tropical regions cannot be so transported here, the 

 presence of this green mud over so considerable a submarine area 

 may possibly be in some measure due to the ejection of fine volcanic 

 ashes during a long period of time, these ashes mingling with such 

 fine detritus as can be ground off the coast by the breakers, or carried 

 outwards by icebergs. 



Glaciers are mentioned as descending from a range of mountains 

 (the Admiralty Range) varying from 7000 to 10,000 feet in height, 

 and projecting in many places several miles into the sea. As bare 

 rocks were seen in a few localities, such glaciers may be the means of 

 transporting masses of rock to the sea, a portion of them to be after- 

 wards borne by ice into more temperate climates, supposing the 

 glaciers to have a movement outwards, however modified this move- 

 ment may be by the climate of Victoria Land. 



Although the great icy barrier of these desolate regions extends 

 far out beyond the land, and beyond where it can be aground, some 

 portions rest on the bottom. Icobei'gs which have so rested upon 

 the ground seem often to be turned bottom upwards, the previously 

 lower portions bearing to the surface mud, sand, and stones, some of 

 which may thus become transported considerable distances ; more 

 particularly should the icebergs not again capsize, since the mud, 

 sand and stones, would be borne on the higher parts of the icebergs. 

 Sir James Ross mentions one remarkable instance of the appearance 

 of the mud-and-stone-covered bottom of an iceberg, which capsized 

 off Victoria Land so suddenly, that it was for the moment supposed 

 to be an island not before observed. 



The amount of mineral matter borne away from this region by ice 

 during the lapse of centuries, must tend to cover the bottom of the 

 southern ocean not only with fragments of large size, but also with 

 the finest mud, and this over extensive areas where no other means 

 are apparent, under existing conditions, for the distribution and ac- 

 cunmlation of such detritus. An iceberg was noticed in latitude 

 66° S., nearly covered by mud and stones. One large block of vol- 

 canic rock was estimated to weigh many tons. We may expect 

 that not only angular but rounded blocks would sometimes be thus 



