46 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSENS 



on the glaciers every night. Hence the masses in question being 

 covered with sand, as is already observed, the rays of the sun 

 act but little upon them in the day-time, so that the small solution 

 they undergo externally, serves, after the frost that occurs at 

 rnght, only to -render the sand that covers them, more even, or 

 to form it into a more compact mass with the snow. Thus 

 the currents of air whirling round these little eminences, and 

 acting from their base up to their summit, form, from the heaps 

 of sand and ice, the we have been describing. 



HOLES FORMED AMONGST THE ICY EMINENCES. 



We were very much surprized to find amongst these pyramids, 

 several holes formed in the ice, most of which were about a 

 foot in diameter, though some were two or three feet; several 

 of these were so deep that we could not find their bottom, in 

 consequence perhaps, of their running obliquely : they were 

 filled with a very cold and limpid water. It is perhaps more 

 difficult to define the origin of these holes, than that of the 

 pyramids ; but we may, with tolerable certainty, attribute them 

 partly to small strata of ice heaped on each other, having given 

 way to the action of the waters and the air. 



The ice is generally more or less full of holes, because in 

 proportion as the water freezes, the air concentrates within it, 

 and accumulates in the form of bulbs, round or oblong, some 

 ©f which are even six inches in diameter, while others are so 

 small as to be almost imperceptible, though very numerous. 

 The ice which is formed on the rivulets and lakes of fresh water, 

 is filled in spring with such a multitude of these holes, that it 

 appears like a sponge, in consequence of the water and air 

 bursting at the surface by the elasticity they acquire. Hence 

 the largest holes appear in places, where the ice has had more 

 vesicles collected together. That ice which arises on the sea 

 and at Greenland, approaches in its quality very near to that 

 of the glaciers, as well in its colour as in its compactness and 

 specific gravity. The water also which the latter contains, pos- 

 sesses the same limpidity, and has a taste equally agreeable, as 

 that of the glaciers; we consequently are of opinion, that what 

 lias been said relative to the formation of the bladders or bubbles, 

 applies likewise to those of the sea and Greenland. We must, 

 nevertheless, observe, that, though the ice of the glaciers be hard 

 and compact, it contains much less extraneous matter, than 

 that which is formed in other parts ; because the latter is 

 mixed internally with particles of earth, sand, and small stones, 

 conveyed by the wind and rain from the neighbouring pastures. 



We at length quitted this dreadful region, in which we had 



