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Chapter XIII. Along the Front of the Icebergs

           

           “Doyounotbelievethatsuchaseaexists?”

           “Yes,Idobelievethatitexists,andforvalidreasons.Infact,itisperfectlymanifestthatthesemasses,calledicebergsandice-fields,couldnotbeformedintheoceanitself.Itisthetremendousandirresistibleactionofthesurgewhichdetachesthemfromthecontinentsorislandsofthehighlatitudes.Thenthecurrentscarrythemintolesscoldwaters,wheretheiredgesarewornbythewaves,whilethetemperaturedisintegratestheirbasesandtheirsides,whicharesubjectedtothermometricinfluences.”

           “Thatseemsveryplain,”Ireplied.“Thenthesemasseshavecomefromtheicebergs.(1)Theyclashwiththemindrifting,sometimesbreakintothemainbody,andcleartheirpassagethrough.Again,wemustnotjudgethesouthernbythenorthernzone.Theconditionsarenotidentical.CookhasrecordedthathenevermettheequivalentoftheAntarcticicemountainsintheGreenlandseas,evenatahigherlatitude.”

           “Whatisthereason?”Iasked.

           “Nodoubtthattheinfluenceofthesouthwindsispredominantinthenorthernregions.Now,thosewindsdonotreachthenorthernregionsuntiltheyhavebeenheatedintheirpassageoverAmerica,Asia,andEurope,andtheycontributetoraisethetemperatureoftheatmosphere.Thenearestland,endinginthepointsoftheCapeofGoodHope,Patagonia,andTasmania,doesnotmodifytheatmosphericcurrents.”

           “Thatisanimportantobservation,captain,anditjustifiesyouropinionwithregardtoanopensea.

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