GLACIAL DRIFT. 319 



Evidence has been often stated showing that the south end of Green- 

 land, for a space of 600 miles, is sinking, and the north end rising. 

 Tyson and Bessel speak of marine shells found 1700-2000 feet above 

 the sea level near Polaris bay. If there were shoal water between 

 Greenland and Labrador, the glaciers would push across to the main land 

 of the American continent. 



The American Centre of Dispersion. 



It seems probable from the latest grouping of facts that some part of 

 the Labrador peninsula may be considered as the centre from which the 

 ice west and south-west from Greenland has radiated. Greenland may 

 be regarded as an area by itself, never confluent necessarily with the 

 Labrador or principal American ice-sheet. The various facts in support 

 of this view will now be stated. 



The greatest amount of glaciated territory indicates a south-westward 

 course. This is seen over the highlands between Hudson's bay and the 

 St. Lawrence valley, the valley itself, western New York, Ohio, and so 

 on to the extreme west edge of the drift. It is very prominent from the 

 Lake of the Woods and Lake Superior, near the national boundary to 

 the Rocky Mountains. In New England the dominant course is south- 

 easterly, with both south and west of south directions. The same is 

 true of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Accounts differ for New- 

 foundland. J. F. Campbell's observations indicate greater variation, 

 possibly a radiation in every direction. Murray's observations are said 

 to show a south-westerly course, but a recorded observation from him is 

 about S. 30° E. On the east coast of Labrador the map shows several 

 fiords, as if there had been an ice-sheet upon the upper part of the 

 peninsula moving north-east and east. Hind finds glacial markings on 

 the Moisie river, and notes a remarkable absence of boulders up to 1,000 

 feet in height. He does not state in what direction the ice moved. Prof. 

 O. M. Lieber's sketches in the coast survey report do not suggest uni- 

 versal, but local glaciation, as if the ice came from the peninsula itself, 

 not from Greenland. Packard describes glacial markings in the Hamil- 

 ton inlet fiord running to the north-east. On the southern shore, Packard 

 thinks the movement was to the south-east, towards Newfoundland. 

 Farther north, the Meta incognita just north of Hudson's straits shows 



