Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-12-27

Mems Christians Association, was deliv-
cred last night in Nordheimer's Hail.
On entering upon the subject Of the pres
ent Lecture, Belleisle and Mont Blanc,
Mr.. Dawson said: sa. 81 A9rt
"The Montreal Steamship Company
had made the Straits of Belleisle one of
the tboroughfares Of the old world. The
island itself of that name, wellsmerited Its
name, for it was a magnificent object to
the voyagers, presenting view of mingled
grandeur and beauty. The lecturer des-
cribed the numerous and immense icebergs
that pass through this strait, inward on
the north side Of the island, and drifting
toward the western end Of the strait, pass
outward toward the south, making sort
of eddy in their course. Four hundred
ninety-six of these huge, beautiful icebergs
had been counted in the straits in one sea-
son. He also described the mechanical
tUtClb Vi tuCoo "nSooe vi bcoh
ing ice, by far the greater portion of which
were submerged beneath the waters.--
They acted as polishers, SO to speak, Of
the ocean floor, having tremendous grind
ing action in their course, as they move
onward, SO vast in dimensions that they
are seen swaying only slightly to and fro
when vast ships are being tossed on the
waves like feather. These were glori-
GUS objects, and never to be forgotten
when thus seen, bat it was different on
dark and stormy nights, when one thought
of their huge and slippery sides, and upon
the pictures Of helpless barques being dash
ed against them and going down wreck,
into the depths Of the ocean, with crews
and freight, leaving no trace on the island
of ice, which the next day will glisten in
the sunshine as pure and white as ever.
He viewed these icebergs as actors in the
great drama Of nature, and in this aspect
they were part of the cosmical arrange
ment for equalizing temperature, and dis
posing of great quantities of ice in the
arctic regions. They also wore down and
diminished the volume of arctic land, by
the vast amount of rock, &c, which they
bore away with them and deposited else
where as they gradually melted, and the
lowering of the eastern side of America
which was known to be going on, might
possibly be occasioned by the superin-
cumbent weight of arctic land actually
pressing downwards the rocky bottom on
which it was laid. The Arctic currents
and the ice had great effect on the form
of the bottom of the sea, and perhaps the
valley of the st. Lawrence had at one time
been a gigantic strait of Belleisle. The
action Of the ice making deposits of Arctic
land had, to some extent, laid the last
coating on the northern part of this CONT
nent. Some thought that it bad been
done by the action of glaciers others that
it had been performed by icebergs, and
thus a controversy on this point had arisen
among scientific men. lcebergs were To-
and far-travelled, extending their
action to great distances from their sources.
So far, the advantages are in favor of the
icebergs, but the work which the glacier
does is done thoroughly, and if time and
facilities be given, it may be done over
wide areas. Our country was one of those
which had been most thoroughly glacisted,
and it became a geologist resident here to
have some certain doctrine as TO the ques-
lion whether at that period, geologically
recent, which we call the postpliocene
period, Canada was raised up to great
height above the sea, and covered, like
Greenland, with mantle of perpetual
ice, or whether it was, like the straits OF
Belleisle, and the banks of Newfoundland,
under water, and annually ground oveaby
cebergs. A great advocate of the glacier
heory had said that we could not properly
appreciate his view without exploring
thoroughly the glaciers of Greenland, and
their effects. This be (Dr.
Dawson) had not had an opportunity OF
Icing, but he had endeavored to do the
lext best thing, by passing, as rapidly as
possible, from the icebergs of Belleisle to
he glaciers Of Mont Blanc, and by asking
he question, whether Canada was in the
period, like the present Belle
sic, or the present Mont Blanc, or wheth-
IT it partook of the character of both. 1t
vas this that formed the connecting link
n his mind between Belleisle and Mont q
Blanc, and that must form his excuse for G
them SO rapidly from the
hores of Labrador to the mount of SAVOY. n
The lecturer then described bis visit to
don't Blanc, mountain rising 1900
Get above the level of the sea. In doing
o, the cause, appearance and effects of
laciers were given with great minuteness,
nd listened to with much interest, as the
low, but irresistible powers of nature were
hown, effecting changes ofenormous mag. Il
itude, carrying stones from the tops of a
ills into the valleys, and even transport f
~ rocks across the valley from the Alps v
} the Jura. These glaciers exercised a 81
onstant grinding effect, through the rocks u
nd stones which they brought down, b
,ey we're, in fact, huge crushing mills, c
nd brought down great quantities or de- Al
ris, at length, much of it to be deposited, "
y means Of streams and rivers, in the ia
lediterranean and the Lake Of Geneva II
lie then exhibited and compared stone 81
ken from Mont Blanc with stone obtain i;
! in the neighborhood of Montreal, and a,
'ferring to the grinding and polishing h,
,tion which both specimens had evidently a,
,dergone, said in conclusion: Let us or
oppose that we are carried back in time i,