356 SUTHERLAND, DAVIS' STRAIT AND BAFFIN'S BAY. 



ice-action on tlieso two opposite coasts are explained in the sub- 

 sequent observations. 



it may be noticed also, that, from the observations of Dr. Pingel 

 and Capt. Graah, the west coast of Greenland presents evidence of 

 its noAv undergoing the process of gradual submersion. 



Glacial Conditions. — At Cape Farewell the fiords run so far 

 into the interior, that none of the icebergs escaping into them from 

 the great inland glacier ever reach Davis Strait, and if the navi- 

 gator meets with icebergs in the neighbourhood of this promontory, 

 they must have drifted to it from other sources. As we advance 

 northward along the coast of West Greenland, and thus diminish 

 the annual mean temperature both of the sea and of the atmosphere, 

 we find the glacier approaches nearer and nearer the coast-line, 

 until in Melville Bay, lat. 75°, it presents to the sea one continuous 

 wall of ice, unbroken by land, for a space of probably seventy or 

 eighty miles. To the southward of Melville Bay, there are numerous 

 outlets for the ice in the coast, and they vary in breadth from two 

 or three up to fifteen or twenty miles. To have a correct idea of 

 the glacier accumulation in Greenland, we must imagine a continent 

 of ice flanked on its seaward side by a number of islands, and in 

 every other direction lost to vision in one continuous and boundless 

 plain. Through the spaces between these apparent islands, the 

 enormous glacial accumulations slowly seek their passage to the 

 sea and send off an annual tribute of icebergs to encumber, to cool, 

 and to dilute the waters of the adjoining ocean. 



The average height or depth of the ice at its free edge in these 

 intervals, or valleys, between the projecting points of coast is 1,200 

 or 1,500 feet, of wdiich about one-eighth, or 150 feet, will be above 

 water. In some of the valleys, however, the depth is upwards of 

 2,400 feet. This may be considered to be satisfactorily ascertained, 

 for the Esquimaux around South-east Bay, lat. 68°, while pursuing 

 halibut-fishing during the winter months, require lines of three 

 hundred fathoms to reach the bottom at the foot of the glacier 

 near Claushaven. In South-east (Disco) Bay, and also in North- 

 east Bay (Omenak Fiord), we meet with the icebergs that draw 

 the greatest depth of water, but those of the greatest cubic contents 

 occur in Melville Bay and in several smaller bays to the southward 

 of it. At Cape York, lat. 76°, although the glacier there is the north- 

 ward continuation of the glacier in Melville Bay, its protrusions 

 into the sea never exceed 50 to 60 feet above the sea-level ; and in 

 some places it does not enter the sea in a continuous mass, but, 

 having descended over the brow of the cliff, it breaks off and slips 

 down into the sea over the rocks, scratching and scoring them in 

 a very marked manner. This is very well seen at Cape York, 76° 

 N. lat. where the free edge of the ice is upwards of 20 feet thick, 

 and at least 100 feet above the sea-level ; the inclination of the 

 abraded part of the coast being about 43*^. But it is much better 

 seen on the west side of Baffin's Bay, at Cape Fitzroy, on the south 

 side of Jones' Sound, and at Cape Bowen, Pond's Bay, where the 

 free edge of the ice is at least 50 feet thick, and about 200 feet 

 above the sea-level. Although many hundred miles of coast 

 intersected by glaciers were examined in the late voyage of the 



