164 CURIOUS DELUSION. 



that one becomes fully alive to it ; but tlien it 

 appears as if the boat and the small ice were 

 stationary, and the grounded berg sailing past 

 them with great velocity — the reverse of course 

 being the case. 



The gulf stream has little or no influence to 

 the north and east of Black Point and the 

 Thousand Islands, as the ice is always travelling 

 to the south-west (except, of course, in case of 

 southerly gales) ; but directly it is driven to 

 the south or west of that promontory, it comes 

 within the influence of the gulf stream, and is 

 rapidly dissolved — that is, during June, July, 

 and August. After the end of August the 

 Arctic current entirely overcomes the remnant 

 of the gulf stream, which has been struggling 

 with it so far successfully as to modify its 

 blighting influence on the south and west shores 

 of Spitzbergen during the three preceding 

 months; and the polar ice, aided by the in- 

 creasing cold, comes down in such quantities 

 as to defy the efforts of the now vanquished 

 gulf stream to dissolve it. It rapidly sweeps 

 round the coast, overlapping first Black Point 

 and the Thousand Islands, then Hvaltiske Point 

 and up Stour Piord, where it meets with 

 another stream of ice coming in by Thy men's 



