▁within ▁an ▁area ▁considered ▁Canadian ▁territory ▁by ▁the ▁Canadian ▁government , ▁though ▁potentially ▁disput ed ▁by ▁other ▁nations . ▁The ▁ice berg ▁itself ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁cal ved ▁from ▁an ▁ice ▁sh elf ▁on ▁Ell es m ere ▁Island ▁in ▁Canada , ▁though ▁it ▁had ▁at ▁one ▁point ▁been ▁ground ed ▁on ▁the ▁Al ask an ▁coast . ▁No ▁legal ▁preced ent ▁covered ▁whether ▁ice berg s ▁like ▁this ▁should ▁be ▁treated ▁as ▁islands , ▁as ▁ships , ▁or ▁as ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁land , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁recent ▁preced ent ▁( 1 9 7 0 , ▁Regin a ▁v . ▁To otal ik ) ▁for ▁a ▁Canadian ▁court ▁u ph old ing ▁juris diction ▁over ▁sea ▁ice ▁some ▁distance ▁from ▁solid ▁land . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁event , ▁the ▁Canadian ▁government ▁had ▁no ▁desire ▁to ▁become ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁trial , ▁and ▁explicitly ▁wa ived ▁any ▁juris diction ▁they ▁might ▁have ▁had . ▁The ▁Department ▁for ▁External ▁Affairs ▁stated ▁that ▁they ▁wished ▁to ▁avoid ▁any ▁appearance ▁of ▁inter fer ing ▁with ▁a ▁criminal ▁trial ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁resolve ▁a ▁complex ▁point ▁of ▁international ▁law , ▁but ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁without ▁any ▁pre jud ice ▁to ▁their ▁territorial ▁claims . ▁ ▁This ▁left ▁Esc amil la ▁to ▁be ▁tried ▁by ▁an ▁American ▁court . ▁After ▁some ▁discussion , ▁Judge ▁O ren ▁Lewis ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁District ▁Court ▁for ▁the ▁Eastern ▁District ▁of ▁Virginia ▁allowed ▁the ▁case ▁to ▁proceed ▁to ▁trial , ▁following ▁the ▁pro sec ution ' s ▁argument ▁that