BERGS 
33 
thing less than twenty years. In 1879 the Grand Pacific 
had a total water front of over three miles; in 1892 and 
1894 the separated glaciers presented a total front of more 
than six miles, the exposure to the sea being progressively 
increased up to that time. Afterward the length of front 
underwent little change, and should recession continue 
it will diminish. Unless the enlargement of the ice front 
was compensated by shoaling of the water, the sea had 
exceptional advantage for twenty years in its attack upon 
the ice, and this advantage may have been connected with 
the phenomenal rate of recession. 
Bergs, — The upper part of Reid Inlet in 1899 not only 
contained more floating ice than any other portion of 
Glacier Bay, but its bergs were of greater size than any 
others we saw. The one pictured in fig. 16 was ascer- 
FIG. l6. ROCK-LADEN BERG IN REID INLET. 
Scale is given by a boat. The nearer face of the berg, black with embedded detritus, is 
probably part of the base of the parent glacier. Photographed June, 1899. 
tained to rise 76 feet above the water, and one of my 
companions who landed upon it and walked from end to 
end, estimated its length by pacing at 750 feet. Having 
my eye gaged by these measurements, I was able to form 
an approximate judgment of the size of other large bergs 
seen; and I estimated the largest, which was approxi¬ 
mately tabular and square in form, to measure 1,000 feet 
on each side and to rise 100 feet from the water. The 
thickness was probably not less than 500 feet. These 
