The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1851-03-15

steep Iedyr> and deCli,ities. ii is HDaWed
by the waves below, Though not diminish
| ed in bulk. since new ice continually iol
lows. building up another pile upon its
ruins. When these projecting masses can
II" longer bear their own eight. they sep
ara'e from the original sla. itr and plunge
III en"rmon> fragments into. the sea, form
ing hose iceberss. which are SO common
IN the N"rthrrn Atlantic. In some places
] grand. in,u"veable piles are formed. which
remain through the summer, or entire inlets
and lords "i the sea are arched over with
,,terins domes Of ice: like the great Ice
blink" between latitude 81 and 62 deg.
which shines afar off like an arch Of aurora,
! light
! The height Of the icebergs often amounts
to LOCO feet. Many Of them are formed
high 10 Baffin's Bav. float to The south and
ar" carried IN such quantities upon the
coast OF Greenland by the strong south
western currents. that they frequently
crowd together 80 as to form solid ba rrier
between that coast and Iceland. Through
the whole Summer they lie on he southern
coast around Cape Farewell. and oI, the
western coast as far 62 and sometimes
| 66 deg !; IN September aud October they
disappear. but in January they return
again. Ia Disco BAY ic-hergs have b.en
measured which stood 500 tathoms deep in
the water. aud were therefore more than
1000 feet ia hei.ht. On the eastern coast.
| III; ny measure from 100 to 80 feet above
the surface ot the water. and since only
the seventh or eighth part IS visible. the
! tuil height cann.t be less than 900 feet.
ih"y are frequently Il mile in circumter-
ence. aud contain from GOO to 800 mil
lions OF cubic feet. wei.hing from 40 t" so
millions Of tons. While they thu, flo t.
slowly dls>"lvMg iuto the ocean. they often
assume the most wonderful furms; they
resemble palaces, cathea,aiS and old furt-
re>>e>. with .atesa>s. windows and tow
ers all built "t spo,less marble and shining
IN the sun Ike silver. Some:imes they
resemble sh' rs. trees or beasts. or parting
the light with their cubic spInters. cover
themselves with pri~natic gl"ries Those
"h" approach them are thrilled with
powerful feeling Of terror. for the ice mas
>es frequently crash in pieces. and as
sometimes in the Alps the bell is taken from
the neck Of the leader mn!r least It's sound
should start The sleeping avalanche. =" In
the Nof'hern Seas the Esqui:naus su>pends
his oar and makes no sound he passes
| these treaChrrcnS islands Of ice.
The coast rises almost Immediately from
the sea to a height Of from to three th:u
sand teet. and the dam, sea-air has uu
favorable effect upon It. The great south
! 2rn oceanic currents pass at some distance
fr"m the shores Of Greenland. while on the
oher hand the Polar currents. which bring
d"~n the iceberg> and ice-feds. wash
them on both SIDES. During the brief
Summer this ice appears in great masses;
in " inter it partially disappears. In Up
perna,,k. 72 deg. 4S nin.. the cold some
| time. reaches to Sc. or even 48 deg, be-
low zero. Then even the rocks burst
asnnder; the ice forms down tie chimneys.
hanging In an arch over the fire. with but
a small aperture in the centre for the pas
sage Of the smoke If meat be cooked, the
out side Is vel! done. while, the centre /,
| irnzcn to such hardness that sharp
knife make, no impression on it. Brandy.
all! even alcohol CONCEAL. INTO Il thick. oily
mass smoky vapur continually ascen'ls
from the .'a, and. caught by the wind.
turns I" 'n,!ions of needles or points of ice. |
tne climate "f the eastern shore is muc! |
more severe than that Of the western. |
Summer begins in Jane anal the heat soon
increases t" such an extent that sumetimes |
the the, mcmeter stands at sc deg. in the |
shade. But from April to August fogs are
very common. and the cold wind sweeping |
over the ice "akes fur clothing necessary |
Ia August the :ro,t> appear Al night. and |
snow fall, ncva,i ,nalIv. though it does not
lie on the ground I'll the brg'nnns of Oc !
| r"ier. thr \or!htrn Lights which were
u know Il IN Europe be fore the year l7l6-
are ot ir. qrsn' occurrence. The peculiar
ope.as."1. "i the unequal reiract:un which |
is prod uced b. the difference ot tcnpera-
ture and destiny IN the different strata Of
air. occasions wonderful optical .ieiu
The northern mirage or tiuctua,ion of the
horizun lift, landscapes above their actual
place. while objects lying far blow the
reach Of vision are brought iu,o sight, fre
quehtly in a brnken or reversed position.
Towers, castles and cities are charmed in
! to existence. as BY the Fate Morgana Of
Sicily.
1t is evident. from the disposition of
Greenland. that its botany and zoology
| must be very limited; either differs but
| slightly from that of the neishboring island
! of Iceland. The habitatious of men are
scattered along the coast. and do not diff
fer in appearance. The European settle
| nents are only IN the Western side.
generally upon small islands. Esqu;maux
| dwell as far north as IS deg.-as lar, that
| is tn say, as the extremity Of Baffin's Bav
| Sir john Ross found natives under the de-
gree of IS. who had come from the North.
The Greenanders belong decidedly to
the Esquimaux race. Their bodily habits.
their speech. and their manner Of life de-
monstrsfe that they are. members OF that
..Familv of Polar mon ), which is found