BERGS 33 



thing less than twenty years. In 1879 the Grand Pacific 

 had a total water front of over three miles; in 1892 and 

 1 894 the separated glaciers presented a total front of more 

 than six miles, the exposure to the sea being progressively 

 increased up to that time. Afterward the length of front 

 underwent little change, and should recession continue 

 it will diminish. Unless the enlargement of the ice front 

 was compensated by shoaling of the water, the sea had 

 exceptional advantage for twenty years in its attack upon 

 the ice, and this advantage may have been connected with 

 the phenomenal rate of recession. 



Bergs. The upper part of Reid Inlet in 1899 not only 

 contained more floating ice than any other portion of 

 Glacier Bay, but its bergs were of greater size than any 

 others we saw. The one pictured in fig. 16 was ascer- 



X 



FIG. l6. ROCK-LADEN BERG IN REID INLET. 



Scale is given by a boat. The nearer face of the berg, black with embedded detritus, is 

 probably part of the base of the parent glacier. Photographed June, 1899. 



tained to rise 76 feet above the water, and one of my 

 companions who landed upon it and walked from end to 

 end, estimated its length by pacing at 750 feet. Having 

 my eye gaged by these measurements, I was able to form 

 an approximate judgment of the size of other large bergs 

 seen; and I estimated the largest, which was approxi- 

 mately tabular and square in form, to measure 1,000 feet 

 on each side and to rise 100 feet from the water. The 

 thickness was probably not less than 500 feet. These 



