152 SEA AND LAND 



which the icebergs journey. The detour which it is neces- 

 sary to make, even in the years when the ice-fleets are most 

 numerous and journey the farthest south, would be but slight; 

 it would not add more than a day to the duration of the 

 voyage. The fleeter scouting ships of the war marine might 

 well be employed in reconnoitring the position of these ene- 

 mies, so that their place would be well known to the mer- 

 chantman. With these relatively slight precautions there is 

 no reason whv, in the centurv to come, w^hen the Atlantic 

 shipping is tenfolded in amount, this sea should not be tra- 

 versed without any danger from this source. 



