THE GLACIERS OF GREENLAND. 85 



than 8,000 feet, and in some places, perhaps, surpasses 10,000 

 feet. . . . 



On ascending hills on the outskirts I again had extensive 

 views to the east, finding the land, as before, absolutely cov- 

 ered by glaciers. From the nearest parts to the farthest dis- 

 tance that could be seen, the whole of the ice was broken up 

 into seracs. It was almost everywhere riven and fissured in a 

 most extreme manner, and it was obviously totally impracti- 

 cable for sledges. . . . 



From the repeated views of the interior which had been 

 seen from the coast mountains, it was clear that all this part 

 of Greenland, except the fringe of land on the Davis Strait 

 side, was absolutely covered by snow and ice, and that the in- 

 terior was not broken up in those latitudes as I had conjectured 

 it might be. . . . 



This vast glacier is the largest continuous mass of ice at 

 present known. All the glaciers of the Alps combined are as 

 nothing to it, and the greatest of those in the Himalayas are 

 mere dwarfs in comparison. At Jakobshavn the bergs floating 

 away were often from 700 to 800 feet thick, and this is the only 

 information at present possessed of its depth. The angle at 

 which its surface rises toward the east is very slight, being 

 seldom so much as 8°, and generally much less ; while in some 

 places there are considerable depressions, and lakes are formed 

 in consequence. ... 



Mount Kelertingouit was 6,800 feet high, and there was a 

 grand and most interesting view from its summit in all direc- 

 tionSo Southward it commanded the whole breadth of the 

 Noursoak Peninsula, and extended over the Waigat Strait to 

 the lofty island of Disco ; westward it embraced the western 

 part of the Noursoak Peninsula, with Davis Strait beyond ; 

 northward it passed right over the Umenak Fiord (some thirty 

 miles wide) to the Black Hook Peninsula ; to the northeast it 

 was occupied by the fiord, with its many imposing islands and 

 islets, surrounded by innumerable icebergs streaming away 

 from the inland ice ; and in the east, extending from north- 

 east to southeast, over well-nigh 90° of the horizon, there was 

 the inland ice itself — presenting the characteristic features 

 which have been mentioned in the earlier papers. The south- 



