in Scotland and Parts of England. 269 



height, and extending 300 miles from east to west. Beyond 

 these ice-cliffs a chain of lofty mountains was discovered, 

 rising from ten to twelve thousand feet in height, and covered 

 with glaciers and ice-fields. From the sea-face of the frozen 

 barrier reached by the vessels, huge masses were constantly 

 breaking off, and floating northward, bearing with them frag- 

 ments of rocks which had been derived from the mountains." 

 Such is the description given. It appears that here was a 

 tract of ice 300 miles in extent, moving outwards from land, 

 with detritus. It must have been viscous ice, or it would 

 have had no motion ; although, at its extremities, where the 

 fragments were breaking off, a more solid character may have 

 been assumed. It seems to realise, on a very considerable 

 scale, the extensive glacier- sheet demanded by the phenomena 

 of abrasion in the opposite portion of the globe. 



We have, from motives of convenience, withheld till now 

 all but the most partial consideration of those superficial 

 deposits which are so palpably connected with the present 

 subject. It is obviously necessary that these should be ex- 

 plained in harmony with any theory of the abraded surfaces 

 which we can expect to be received. 



In Sweden, as far as my observations extended, the kind 

 of matter usually found lying immediately upon the smoothed 

 rocks, and in the lee of eminences, is a confused mixture of 

 blocks of all sizes, imbedded in coarse sand and clay, with no 

 sorting observable in any part. Very generally this mass is 

 of a straw colour, and so exactly does it resemble the detri- 

 tus found at the sides and skirts of existing glaciers, that I 

 have been led to adopt for it the term Moraine Matter. It 

 seems to be the direct and invariable effect of glaciation 

 taking place on inclined ground under the atmosphere. This 

 matter is, everywhere in Scandinavia, covered with beds of 

 sorted gravel, sand, and clay, betokening a subsequent wa- 

 tery action, as if the masses had been submerged, and a par- 

 tial change effected on and about them by that means. In 

 many places, this alluvial or aqueous formation is presented 

 in ridges called osar, which traverse the country in determi- 

 nate directions, often extending for many miles. Shells are 

 found in the aqueous deposit, but never, as far as I have 



VOL. LIV. NO. CVIII. — APRIL 1853. T 



