III. ICEBERGS.

 The venture will be taken here to consider and explain the character and formation of a big true iceberg¹ which it is supposable change their location to both inside and outside waters.

 

As already said, the ice belt is the dividing line between salt and fresh waters.

 

This being the case, large expanses of the ocean in the Arctic region must be frozen over. As water is an exception to most everything else by growing lighter² as it grows colder, it rises above its water level. Without this provision of Nature, our lakes would become solid masses of ice, and rivers would become mountains, thus extinguishing fish and producing a mass so deep and solid that a summer season would hardly melt away. This can be evidenced in any tub of water standing³ out in a cold night. Water does not congeal⁴ entirely⁵ on the surface, but rises in frozen particles from below like cream on[20] milk. This is shown by its rising and swelling⁶ up in the center and pressing the outside of the vessel⁷ to bursting.

 

A pond, lake or river frozen so thickly as to bear up heavy loaded teams of horses, and armies of men with all their equipages will be materially arched as it leaves the banks. An evidence of this comes when rising and cracking with loud reports and at the thawing⁸ up and yielding of pressure on the banks when loud explosions like blasts or firing of cannons⁹ will occur, caused by the settling and cracking of the ice.

 

As the ocean depths are great and the Arctic night of long duration, the fresh-water portions to a great depth congeal, and rising form a mass of ice inconceivable to temperate¹⁰ climes, both in height and area. Imagine what an iceberg must have been in starting from seventy-fifth to eightieth parallel of latitude¹¹ and floated through all kinds of weather till midsummer, arriving off the coasts of Newfoundland, and then 300 to 500 feet high with seven times its height under water and so large as to take hours and even days or weeks to pass the main mass of ice and its fragments that have sloughed¹² off. Has any explorer ever seen such a body of ice break off from a glacier¹³ that must have covered scores of miles square when it started?

 

[21]As an arrow shot into the air bends its course to follow the heavy end, as truly do the heavy elements in the water manifest themselves at the center of the Earth’s motion, and the saltness of the Equatorial waters is much stronger than approaching the polar holes, which last term might be used with good reason instead of poles.

 

There seems to be with all Arctic explorers the obstacle presenting itself, termed the ice belt. This obstacle is suggestive, and leads the way to base the following conclusions:

 

That the water at this point has become so freshened, as to admit of such a wide freezing belt, but that the boundary line is made between salt water and fresh.

 

It is not in place here to describe a glacier until the cause and origin is explained, which will properly come after considering the water influences from inside.

 

The next purpose will be to show and aim to prove that the Earth is hollow and supplied with an ocean of fresh water and habitable land.

 

As said before the theory of an open sea gives the inference of a new climate and country, therefore now, what evidence, actual or circumstantial can be adduced?

 

It is claimed by Arctic navigators beyond all their attempts to reach beyond the ice belt, geese,[22] duck, and other wild fowl¹⁴ continue to fly and seem to be in quest of food which they must obtain in waters beyond the ice belt.

 

The existence of an open sea beyond the ice belt has for years been conceded. As no explorer has reached much nearer than 750 miles of the supposed poles, it is reasonable to suppose that the open sea, so-called, but really a hole must be nearly fifteen hundred miles in diameter. Various evidences have settled that question in the minds of navigators, the most important of which is that the sea fowls¹⁵ still fly beyond the reach of man’s explorations. The fact alone that wild geese, ducks, and other sea fowl go on to some feeding ground is enough to settle all doubts or arguments for or against the theory of an open sea of fresh water around the supposed poles. Conclusive¹⁶ reasons are that no water fowl or fish can live in an ocean of salt water. Strictly¹⁷ salt waters do not furnish any food; but only in bodies fed by streams of fresh waters, as in bays, inlets and mouths of rivers, and adjacent to the coast line of continents or islands where fresh water from springs and rainfalls contribute to produce growth and substances suitable for food.

 

It was observed by the navigator, Ross, that moose, reindeer¹⁸, wolves, musk-ox, white bear,[23] and foxes seek winter quarters toward the north rather than to the south, and return when the season becomes favorable, with their young. Fish are noticed to come south but not to return.

 

As to water fowl, how far they could follow this opening into the center of the Earth, the writer will leave for others to conjecture¹⁹.

 

It has often been a query²⁰ from whence came the Arctic elephants, the remains²¹ of which are found so plentifully²² on the north shores of Siberia, some of which during the last century have been in such a state of preservation²³ as that their flesh was eatable by bears and wolves.

 

Why were they protected by a covering of hair if not originating in a colder climate than exists south of the Arctic Circle?

 

Do they not still exist in the interior, or have they passed out with the great Auk, a former external resident?

 

Why are the latitudes²⁴ nearest the poles the favorite fishing grounds for whales? Is not the interior ocean of fresh water their natural breeding ground and from thence passing out through Behring Strait and other channels into the outer waters? Can some scientist give us reliable information as to where whales propagate most, and why it is necessary for whaling expeditions to seek high latitudes for their catch?

 

[24]The hole, fifteen hundred miles across, would not give any conscious impression of there being such an opening. You could not stand and inspect it like looking down a well. This hole opens into a new world unexplored by man, unless it is possible that Sir John Franklin and the Aeronaut Nansen unintentionally drifted in and were unable to navigate²⁵ themselves out.

 

It must also, in marking out this theory, be admitted that as the center of the Earth is approached this opening must be somewhat enlarged, and must assume a concave shape from the center; such being the case, the diameter must increase from one thousand to two thousand miles or more, which is very likely to be the fact. With the motion or revolution of the Earth, the water would assume this condition on principle of the swinging of a pail of water over the head, and would merely be a placid²⁶ ocean as boundless²⁷ to the eye as the waters on the surface.

 

In these expanses of water, it is quite reasonable to presume that islands and large bodies of land may exist the same as outside, and that many fossil specimens²⁸ thought to have existed on the outer surface in an early antiquity²⁹ may have originated in the center of the Earth and may even still exist; their ancient skeletons[25] having been thrown to the Earth’s surface by the centrifugal forces of water in the same way that all the different stratas of rock have been cast up and mixed in one grand conglomeration³⁰ from the Earth’s center to its circumference³¹. These facts seem clearly to prove by these migratory³² birds and animals: First an open sea; second it must be fresh water or mostly so; third, it must produce or contain desirable food elements different from what exist in the ocean on the outside, on which these birds can live when they reach their breeding grounds from which they are reported to return with largely augmented³³ numbers. Now this consistent query can arise: Do they stop at a near point after passing this great boundary line of ice and find suitable and pleasant feeding grounds, or go on 500 or 1,000 miles farther? At that distance, the water is more likely to be modified in temperature and better adapted to their tastes and comfort. It seems quite right to assume that they come to inland seas, and pleasant bays, and sounds supplied with food from their shores and feeding grounds, rather than being supplied with anything existing on external parts of the Earth; otherwise, their supply must all be drawn³⁴ under the ice belt or pass through this great Arctic filter. Again this thought comes up. How did[26] these birds get sight of or learn of this internal feeding, and probably breeding ground? As migratory birds usually fly at great height, they would have an advantage over man in seeing this open ocean, as it is reasonable to think they may have bred as well as fed there. It is only a natural sequence of their migration³⁵ in and out of this belt or ice circle, just as we recognize their flight north and south with the season’s changes.

 

If they go there by instinct, they merely do what is credited to the realm of life, considered lower in the scale of thoughts than man; but if by exploration and reason, then man must take a lower scale in calculation than the goose. To conclude this point. If birds live on vegetation, there must be an abundant supply of fresh water to produce it. If they live on fish, there must be the same sufficiency of fresh water in which to breed, feed, and live. If the birds breed, they must have hospitable³⁶ shores on which to dwell and rest, and favoring skies to contribute to their various wants in order to exist.

 

Their instincts or reason will never take them where the conditions will not admit of food and drink, rest, shelter, and protection.

 

One other conclusive evidence that our icebergs³⁷ are not formed by the breaking off from[27] the terminals of glaciers³⁸ is the fact of frequently finding them in midocean carrying such passengers as wolves, foxes, white bear, and other specimens of Arctic animals. The solidity of the iceberg is much against the glacial origin, the glacier being made up of a conglomerate³⁹ mass formed by snow, rain and spring waters, so much so as to be impossible to keep intact to any great bulk. The formation of the iceberg in its method must be a solid mass.

1 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

2 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 congeal   

v.凝结，凝固

参考例句：

• The blood had started to congeal.血液已经开始凝结。
• Gear lubricants may congeal and channel in cold weather.天气冷时齿轮润滑油可能凝结而形成凹槽。

5 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

7 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

8 thawing   

n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化

参考例句：

• The ice is thawing. 冰在融化。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• It had been snowing and thawing and the streets were sloppy. 天一直在下雪，雪又一直在融化，街上泥泞不堪。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

9 cannons   

n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cannons bombarded enemy lines. 大炮轰击了敌军阵地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One company had been furnished with six cannons. 某连队装备了六门大炮。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 temperate   

adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的

参考例句：

• Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
• Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。

11 latitude   

n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区

参考例句：

• The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
• The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

12 sloughed   

v.使蜕下或脱落( slough的过去式和过去分词 )；舍弃；除掉；摒弃

参考例句：

• Responsibilities are not sloughed off so easily. 责任不是那么容易推卸的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The scab has sloughed off. 痂脱落了。 来自辞典例句

13 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

14 fowl   

n.家禽，鸡，禽肉

参考例句：

• Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。
• Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。

15 fowls   

鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马

参考例句：

• A great number of water fowls dwell on the island. 许多水鸟在岛上栖息。
• We keep a few fowls and some goats. 我们养了几只鸡和一些山羊。

16 conclusive   

adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的

参考例句：

• They produced some fairly conclusive evidence.他们提供了一些相当确凿的证据。
• Franklin did not believe that the French tests were conclusive.富兰克林不相信这个法国人的实验是结论性的。

17 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

18 reindeer   

n.驯鹿

参考例句：

• The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
• The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。

19 conjecture   

n./v.推测，猜测

参考例句：

• She felt it no use to conjecture his motives.她觉得猜想他的动机是没有用的。
• This conjecture is not supported by any real evidence.这种推测未被任何确切的证据所证实。

20 query   

n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑

参考例句：

• I query very much whether it is wise to act so hastily.我真怀疑如此操之过急地行动是否明智。
• They raised a query on his sincerity.他们对他是否真诚提出质疑。

21 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

22 plentifully   

adv. 许多地，丰饶地

参考例句：

• The visitors were plentifully supplied with food and drink. 给来宾准备了丰富的食物和饮料。
• The oil flowed plentifully at first, but soon ran out. 起初石油大量涌出，但很快就枯竭了。

23 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

24 latitudes   

纬度

参考例句：

• Latitudes are the lines that go from east to west. 纬线是从东到西的线。
• It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. 这是高纬度地方的那种短暂的晚秋。

25 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

26 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

27 boundless   

adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的

参考例句：

• The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
• His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。

28 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 antiquity   

n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹

参考例句：

• The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。
• There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

30 conglomeration   

n.团块，聚集，混合物

参考例句：

• a conglomeration of buildings of different sizes and styles 大小和风格各异的建筑楼群
• To her it was a wonderful conglomeration of everything great and mighty. 在她看来，那里奇妙地聚集着所有伟大和非凡的事业。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

31 circumference   

n.圆周，周长，圆周线

参考例句：

• It's a mile round the circumference of the field.运动场周长一英里。
• The diameter and the circumference of a circle correlate.圆的直径与圆周有相互关系。

32 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

33 Augmented   

adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• 'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称：“科学家不会被取代；相反，他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好，这篇报导的影响更大了。

34 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

35 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

36 hospitable   

adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的

参考例句：

• The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
• The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。

37 icebergs   

n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships. 海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The icebergs towered above them. 冰山高耸于他们上方。 来自辞典例句

38 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

39 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。