P\ow leebergs are formed.

Zier
1 OW many of our little readers have ever thought of what
becomes of the vast mountains of snowin the Polar re-
gions?

Here the sun never shines with enough power to wholly
melt the snow which has fallen and it constantly gathers..
In this way immense mountains of ice and snow are formed.
There is heat enough in the sun to moisten the snow just a
little and then the intense cold freezes it into a solid mass.
Nw In this way what are called glaciers are formed. These,

( ats then, are immense mountain chains of frozen ice and snow.
If you were to stand and look at one of these glaciers you
could not see that it moved at all, yet they do move slightly, and slide on and
on until they reach the sea and form great walls of ice, out of which pour tor-
rents of water during the Arctic summer. The noise which this falling water
makes fills the air with a continual roar, as if the mighty mass were about to
break forth into an earthquake. This seems like the voice of an imprisoned
giant struggling to be free. These walls of ice not only reach the sea, but of-
tentimes push their way out into the sea, overhanging the water. The great
body of ice, being no longer supported, partially crumbles, and immense blocks
of ice break off, fall into the sea, sounding like thunder, and after turning over
a few times with a great splash and noise, at length gain their balance and float
away in the ocean.

These blocks of ice of all sizes and shapes, broken off from the glacier in
this manner, are called icebergs. What a sight it must be to see a fleet of
these great ice ships putting out to sea, especially if lighted up by the moon or
the midnight sun! More beautiful even than this is the sight of these icebergs
when illuminated by the rays of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, as we
term them. Suchascene is beyond description. These icebergs are borne
away by the currents of the ocean, and by the winds as well, until they reach
warmer climates, where they gradually melt away.

We read of many wrecks caused by ships coming in contact with these
icebergs. Even the steamers which ply between Liverpool and New York are
oftentimes in great danger from them. Leta ship strike one of these moving
masses of ice and all is over.

Icebergs are sometimes found as far south as the coast of Maine. But ¢
upon reaching the warm Gulf currents they melt rapidly.