THE BEACH IN WINTER 85 



at the foot of Castle Hill. Two other boulders, 

 nearly as large, were to be found on the beach 

 in this two-mile stretch. How many disap- 

 peared in deep water can not be told. One is 

 apt to think that all boulders have been brought 

 to their present position by glaciers or icebergs 

 which are of glacial origin, but it is evident that 

 they must have sometimes been carried in the past, 

 as these examples show that they are in the pres- 

 ent, by ice not of glacial origin. 



On the upper edge of the beach is to be found 

 in severe winters the most interesting and strik- 

 ing ice formation, the ice-wall. This is formed 

 partly of small ice cakes and slush ice left at 

 the top of the tide, and partly of snow. It is 

 solidified by the sea-water thrown up by the 

 waves, which, in freezing, cements together the 

 component parts, and builds up the wall higher 

 and higher as the spray and ice is thrown on top. 

 At times the soft slush ice, newly formed on the 

 surface of the ocean, is thrown on top of the wall 

 and fills the hollows with a snow-white mantle 

 which contrasts strongly with the old ice, often 

 dark with sand. This mantle, at first as soft as 



