THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 703 



bewitching character of the scene was heightened by a thousand 

 little cascades which leaped into the sea from these floating 

 masses, the water being discharged from lakes of melted snow 

 and ice which reposed in quietude far up in the valleys separating 

 the high icy hills of their upper surface. From other bergs large 

 pieces were now and then detached, plunging down into the water 

 with deafening noise, while the slow-moving swell of the ocean 

 resounded through their broken archways." 



A similar gorgeous spectacle was witnessed by Dr. Kane in 

 Melville Bay. The midnight sun came out over a great berg, 

 kindling variously-colored fires on every part of its surface, and! 

 making the ice around the ship one great resplendency of gem- 

 work, blazing carbuncles and rubies, and molten gold. These are 

 the beauties of the iceberg, but it has its terrible features as 

 well. On one occasion Kane was beset by a heavy squall, which 

 gave him no small concern for the safety of his vessel, which 

 was threatened by the heavy floes blowing off shore and promising 

 to nip him if shelter was not soon reached. As a measure of 

 protection he resolved to fasten to an iceberg, which he was only 

 able to do after hard labor of eight hours. His crew had hardly 

 time for a breathing spell before they were startled by loud 

 crackling sounds above them, and small fragments of ice, not 

 larger than a walnut, began to disturb the water like the first 

 drops of a summer shower. The indications were unmistakable, 

 and they had barely time to cast off before the face of the berg 

 fell in ruins, crashing with a roar like artillery. 



AN ORIGINAL THEORY RESPECTING ICEBERGS. 



ICEBERGS are all composed of fresh water, which arctic discov- 

 erers declare, and no doubt very properly, and are made by 

 gradual freezing accretions from great rivers which pour out their 

 water over precipices, as already explained. But a very strange 

 fact is worthy of consideration in this connection, viz: that the 

 frequent freezing of salt water produces fresh water. 



McClintock, during his voyage in search of the Franklin party, 

 discovered this singular phenomenon. A portion of his diary 



; "By my desire Dv, Walker is occupied in making every 



