1834.] BOULDERS TRANSPORTED BY ICE. 249 



stranding^ of icebergs, and by the matter transported on 

 them. Few geologists now doubt that those erratic 

 boulders which lie near lofty mountains, have been pushed 

 forward by the glaciers themselves, and that those distant 

 from mountains, and embedded in subaqueous deposits, 

 have been conveyed thither either on icebergs, or frozen in 

 coast-ice. The connection between the transportal of 

 boulders and the presence of ice in some form, is strikingly 

 shown by their geographical distribution over the earth. 

 In South America they are not found farther than 48° of 

 latitude, measured from the southern pole ; in North 

 America it appears that the limit of their transportal to 

 53^° from the northern pole ; but in Europe to not more 

 than 40° of latitude, measured from the same point. On 

 the other hand, in the intertropical parts of America, Asia, 

 and Africa, they have never been observed ; nor at the Cape 

 of Good Hope, nor in Australia.* 



On the Climate and Productions of the Antarctic Islands. — 

 Considering the rankness of the vegetation in Tierra del 

 Fuego, and on the coast northward of it, the condition of 

 the islands south and south-west of America js truly sur- 

 prising. Sandwich Land, in the latitude of the north part 

 of Scotland, was found by Cook, during the hottest month 

 of the year, "covered many fathoms thick with everlasting 

 snow " ; and there seems to be scarcely any vegetation. 

 Georgia, an island ninety-six miles long and ten broad, in 

 the latitude of Yorkshire, "in the very height of summer, 

 is in a manner wholly covered with frozen snow." It can 

 boast only of moss, some tufts of grass, and wild burnet : 

 it has only one land-bird (Anthus correndera), yet Iceland, 

 which is 10° nearer the pole, has, according to Mackenzie, 

 fifteen land-birds. , The South Shetland Islands, in the 

 same latitude as the southern half of Norway, possess only 

 some lichens, moss, and a little grass ; and Lieutenant 

 Kendall t found the bay, in which he was at anchor, 

 beginning to freeze at a period 'corresponding with our 

 8th of September. The soil here consists of ice and volcanic 

 ashes interstratified ; and at a little depth beneath the 

 surface it must remain perpetually congealed, for Lieutenant 



• I have given details (the firit, I beh'cve, pubHshed) on this aubject in the 

 fiftt edition, and in the appendix to it. I have there shown that the apparent 

 exceptions to the absence of erratic boulders in certain hot countries, are due 

 to erroneous observations : several statemeiita there {fiven, I have since found 

 confirmed by various iiiithors. 



t Gtofrra/ hical Jpu-^nal, 1830. pp. 65, 66. 



