GEOLOGICAL OBSERVA'TIO^'S IN FRANCE. 30$ 



The valley d'AJnmdance, rich in fine pastures, ascends J^le of Abuu- 

 with an imperceptil)le slope to a defile, in wbichis placed a 

 cross, raarking the limits between France and the Vulais, 

 Thence the descent to the village of Monteiche, not far from f^ff^ 



the Pchone, is pretty quick. All the mountains on this road 

 are calcareous, generally steep toward the lake, and in seve- 

 nil places their strata are nearly vertical. Above the cot- 

 tages of Size, on the chaiil skirting this valley, good coal Coal, 

 has been found, and is wrought with advantage. The mouix- 

 tainsjiere are higher and steeper than those nearer Geneva, 

 becaiise they are nearer the centre of the Alps, and probably 

 too, as Mr. Saussure observes, because some of t])e lower 

 steps of the grand amphitheatre of the Alps are wanting 

 ^ere. 



^* The Mule is a long mountain, lying W. N. W. and E. S. E. Mdl«. 

 It is composed of compact limestone, which in some places 

 begins to assume the appearance of a schist by its disposi- ^ 



tion to split in leaves. There is some irregularity in the 

 situation of these rocks, yet they follow the law common to 

 all the exterior mountains of the chain of the Alps, their 

 slopes beiujg on the inner side, and their precipices on the 

 outer. Here Mr. Sausgure observes for the first time, that SeG(»nc!ary 



tlie seeondasy mountains are so much the more irrepular niountains 



,.,..'. . , , , . most irregular 



and mcljnjijg- m proportjon as they approach the primary, xiear the pri^ 



It is from the Mole too we perceive very distinctly, that the mary. 



Alps, to which all the surroundin<j: mountains are attached, General vievr 

 , „ , . . of the Al^s, 



are composed of a great number oi chams, nearly parallel, 



and separated by valleys following the same direction, which 



in general, with some slight exceptions, is north-east and 



south-w^est. On the Mole we iiieet with coarse calcareous 



brecciae, imperfect vestiges of petrifactions, and frequently 



nuclei or even veins of petrosilex included in limestone, 



The valley of Taningey which opens into the great vale The valley pf 



of the Arve near Bonneville, runs very evidently east ajid -^*"'"S®« 



west. It is watered by the Gifre, a pretty considerable river 



or torrent produced by the rfielting of the ice on Buet and 



the mountains near that Glacier. Several of the calcareous j , 



• Lead ores con- 



mountains in the course of j;his river include argentiferous tainmg silver. 



lead-ores,^ The extremity of the valley is closed by moun- ' 



tains covered with eternal ice. The strata of the mountains 



thsit 



