OF HUMBOLDT. 
227 
icy cataracts into the Atlantic and Greenland seas; 
and, having at last reached the northern limit of the 
land that has borne it up, pouring out a mighty frozen 
torrent into' unknown Arctic space. (45) 
It is thus, and only thus, that we must form a just 
conception of a phenomenon like this Great Glacier. 
I had looked in my own mind for such an appearance, 
GLACIER PROTRUDING AT CACHE ISLAND. 
should I ever be fortunate enough to reach the north¬ 
ern coast of Greenland. But now that it was before 
me, I. could hardly realize it. I had recognised, in my 
quiet library at home, the beautiful analogies which 
Forbes and Studer have developed between the glacier 
and the river. But I could not comprehend at first 
this complete substitution of ice for water. 
It was slowly that the conviction dawned on me, 
