THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 705 



This theory, which I have the boldness to present, is merely an 

 individual's speculation, and does not claim to be the results of 

 any extended research or special study of the subject ; it is given 

 only for what it is worth. 



THE ICE-BLINK. 



ONE of the most remarkable phenomena of the Polar Sea is the 

 ice-blink, or reflection of the ice against the sky. A stripe of 

 light, similar to the early dawn of morning, but without its red- 

 ness, appears above the horizon, and traces a complete aerial 

 map of the ice to a distance of many miles beyond the ordinary 

 reach of vision. To the experienced navigator the " blink " is 

 frequently of the greatest use, as it not only points out the vi- 

 cinity of the drift-ice, but indicates its nature, whether compact 

 or loose, continuous or open. Thus Scoresby relates that on the 

 7th of June, 1821, he saw so distinct an ice-blink, that as far as 

 twenty or thirty miles all round the horizon he was able to ascer- 

 tain the figure and probable extent of each ice-field. The packed 

 ice was distinguished from the larger fields by a more obscure 

 and yellow color ; while each water-lane or open passage was in- 

 dicated by a deep blue stripe or patch. By this means he was 

 enabled to find his way out of the vast masses of ice in which 

 he had been detained for several days, and to emerge into the 

 open sea. 



On sunny days, the strong contrasts of light and shade be- 

 tween the glistening snow and the dark protruding rocks produce 

 a remarkable deception in the apparent distance of the land, 

 along a steep mountainous coast. When at the distance of twenty 

 miles from Spitzbergen, for instance, it would be easy to induce 

 even a judicious stranger tc undertake a passage in a boat to the 

 shore, from a belief that he was within a league of the land. At 

 this distance the portions of rock and patches of snow, as well as 

 the contour of the different hills, are as distinctly marked a.s 

 similar objects in many other countries, not having snow about 

 them, would be at a fourth or a fifth part of the distance. A 

 ship's top-gallant mast, at the distance of five or six leagiu-s, 

 may be discerned when just appearing above the horizon with a 

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