» Hints on the Iceberg Theory of Drift. 171 



ance, as if they had been recently worn, and the last act of 

 wearing seems to have been sliding. I cannot account for the 

 appearances on these worn bowlders, without their being envel- 

 oped in ice, and moved in ice by currents of water. 



In the 66th number (Vol. xxxn) of the American Journal, ed- 

 ited by Mr. Silliman, is an article by Mr. Redfield on currents 

 on the coast of this continent, and at page 351 he says: "It is 

 doubtless true that the great, stream of ice is brought by the 

 Labrador current within the dissolving influence of the Gulf 

 Stream ; and I may here remark that it is not improbable that 

 the Grand Bank owes its origin to the deposits which have re- 

 sulted from the process for a long course of ages." (See also the 

 note on the same page.) 



I crossed the Grand Bank in April, 1809, and then there was 

 ice spread over from ten to twelve degrees of longitude, com- 

 mencing on the east side with small fragments in close contact, 

 and as it extended westward it kept increasing in size, so that 

 half the extent on the west side was large icebergs, say from 

 twenty to forty feet high above the water, and a few miles apart. 

 How far the ice extended north and south I have no means of 

 knowing, but I saw so much ice, that when I have seen it men- 

 tioned that the icebergs seen almost every spring by ships cross- 

 ing the Grand Bank, originated by fragments of ice breaking off 

 from the coast of Davis's Straits, I have always considered the 

 cause not equal to the effect, for in April any year all north of 

 Hudson's Straits must be locked up by solid ice. 



The article " Ice" in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia says, that 

 in the north of Europe, " ice sometimes attaches itself to anchors 

 in such quantities, as to raise them to the surface by its buoyan- 

 cy ;" and again, that "ice forms at the bottom of great thickness 

 before it rises, and then brings up with it, not only earth and 

 gravel, but stones of large size;" and many more facts of a simi- 

 lar nature. 



Now why may not ice attach itself to bowlders and other loose 

 materials at the bottom of the ocean, off the Labrador coast, in 

 such quantities as to buoy up stones and other loose matter; and 

 be floated along in the polar current, increasing in bulk by freez- 

 ing after they rise to the surface ; and in this way account for so 

 much ice being seen annually, so early as April and May, on the 

 Grand Bank ? 



