Association of American Geologists and Naturalists. 155 
had led his own mind, leaving abler judges to decide upon the value of 
such facts and the correctness of the inferences. He remarked that 
the opportunity of witnessing the actual operation of the huge bodies of 
drifting ice, known as Bergs or Islands, was of so rare occurrence that 
its true character appeared to him not clearly understood, and conse- 
quently geologists were liable to overlook or err in judgement upon 
some important points in the dynamics of aqueo-glacial agency. Mr. 
C. then proceeded to a statement of the geographical position of a 
number of icebergs, as determined by reference to his journals. The 
first noted was observed on the 28th of May, 1822, during a passage 
from Havana to Rotterdam, and was in 42° 10 N, lat., 44° 50’ West 
from Greenwich. Its size must have been very considerable, as it was 
visible from the deck of a vessel of two hundred tons, for eighteen 
miles. Numerous small streams of water were pouring down its sides, 
and a boat was sent with a view to obtain.a supply, but on approaching 
it, the swell, notwithstanding its being quite calm, was found to dash 
t its face with such force, and the lower portions were so worn 
and ragged, as to render it inaccessible. Although the weather was so 
serene, and the sea so tranquil, yet the berg was constantly turning 
slowly round as the swell struck its many promontoriform projections. 
It appeared to have lost little of its primal magnitude, the summits re- 
taining a conical or rounded form, instead of being worn like others he 
had seen, into sharp pinnacles and acicular ager by the action of the 
atmosphere and rain. 
The next observed by Mr. Sos wees on athe return passage i in Sepiauaber 
of the same year. 
of Newfoundland, in 43° 18’ N. lat., 48° 20 W. long. ‘Sounding three 
miles inside of it, the depth was found to be one hundred and five 
Salis eis 9: Bie wate deepens rapidly toward the eiige of the bank, 
must have. been in at least one ty or one hun- 
dred io thirty fathoms. There wasa heavy sea running at the time, 
eausing it to rock, and oscillate horizontally to and fro, with a heavy 
grinding noise distinctly audible to all on board. A fresh wind from 
the east was continually forcing it farther up on the bank, but in the 
event of a contrary gale springing up, it would doubtless have been 
driven off again into deep water to pursue its course to a milder ¢lime, 
loaded with ‘cadetials ground into its base while stranded. 
_ Between this period and the summer of 1827, several icebergs were 
seen by Mr. C., but not being able at present to lay hand on his journals 
of that. interval, he could enter into no particulars, farther than to state 
that as with a few exceptions, his voyages were between the United States _ 
or West Indies and ( Great Britnig.og th the es Ba 
that i, Ree ee ere 
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