158 Association of American Geologists and Naturalists. 



meridional line, passing through the centre of the grand Bank of New- 

 foundland. It was the only case within his knowledge, of an iceberg 

 being seen so near our continent in this parallel. He shewed by refer- 

 ence to a chart of the Atlantic, that in all probability this one entered 

 the Gulf Stream at least as far eastward as the 48th deg. of west longitude, 

 and in the 42d or 43d parallel of north latitude. It was his opinion that 

 this occurred in the spring of the year, when the prevalent strong north- 

 east winds would drive it southerly across the stream with nearly as 

 much rapidity as the latter would carry it forward in an easterly 

 direction. To exemplify this, said Mr. C, we should work out the drift, 

 and true course of this berg, precisely as a seaman would do that of a 

 ship hove to the wind for the same length of time, and under like cir- 

 cumstances. Assuming then that the berg in question, had impinged 

 upon the Gulf Stream in the latitude and longitude above given, and 

 there encountered one of the northeast gales, so frequent, and of such 

 long continuance on our coast in the spring ; — half a mile per hour 

 would be a moderate allowance for its set southwestward by the wind 

 and heave of the sea. In forty days, (and it is well known that easterly 

 gales often prevail over this part of the Atlantic during the spring 

 months, for even a longer period ;) in forty days, it would, were there no 

 opposing agency at work, be propelled three hundred and forty miles 

 west, and the same distance south of its point of entrance into the Gulf 

 Stream. But as in this parallel, there is a current setting in an east by 

 south direction, with a mean velocity of three quarters of a mile per 

 hour, this would during the assumed period, not only counteract the 

 wasting caused by the swell, but cai-ry the berg three hundred and 

 sixty-eight miles east, and one hundred and twenty miles farther south, 

 making its true line of drift up to the close of the forty days, to be south 

 38° east, and the distance traversed four hundred and seventy miles. 

 This would place it in latitude 34° 50' north, longitude 38° 30' west, or 

 about across the Stream, here not far from four hundred and fifty miles 

 wide. From this point to the locality in which the fragments were seen, 

 its course would be about south 84° west, and the distance one thousand 

 four hundred and seventy miles. Assuming that the eddy current and 

 heave of the sea combined, were equal to impelling it westward at the 

 rate of three quarters of a mile an hour, it would require about eighty 

 days to transport it to the locality in question. But as the wind although 

 acting upon it generally from the eastward, cannot be supposed to have 

 done so constantly, it might be a considerably longer time in performing 

 the voyage. 



Mr. Couthouy exhibited a chart of the Atlantic, with the assumed track 

 of the iceberg met by him, marked upon it, and pointed out that its 

 drift westward must have been at least as great as he had there repre- 



