67 



glaciers on the West Pacific slopes. 1 If, however, 

 a glacier traverses a country already cleared by ice 

 action, this ought not to be the case, for (similarly 

 to marine action acting on glaciated rocks), all the 

 loosened rocks would have been removed previously, 

 and the new force would have to act on a hardened, 

 planed, and more or less smooth surface ; consequently 

 there would be few or no inequalities for it to act on, 

 no debris for it to gather up, and few tools with 

 which it could abrade and triturate the rocks. 



In West G-alway large tracts of ice-dressed country 

 were noted, in which there is scarcely any drift and 

 only a few erratic blocks. In some places marine 

 denudation may have removed the drift since the ice 

 melted away. This may be possible when the country 

 is below the level of the margin of the " Esker Sea " 

 (350 feet above the present sea level) ; yet it is not 

 probable, as the hummocks of rock not only give 

 evidence of having been planed and grooved, but also 

 in places still retain their etched and polished surface; 

 and although the groovings might survive the abrad- 

 ing of sea-tossed blocks, yet the polishing and etching 

 could scarcely escape. Furthermore, in other places 

 the ground is so high that marine action could not 

 have reached it during the " Esker period;" and it 



1 " On the Discovery of Actual Glaciers on the Mountains of the 

 Pacific Slope." By Clarence King, U.S. geologist. The American 

 Journal of Science and Art. Third Series. Vol. i. pp. 157, et seq. 



