304 GEOLOOtCAL OBSERVATIONS I^T FRAXCE. 



- "Inat surround the valley from Samoin are sin^cularly distort- 



Bnder horizon- ^^ ^" several places. Ainon^ others I observed at the bot- 



J^« torn of the mountain called Pointe de Sale strata bent con- 



centrically on one another, so as to form a large ellipsis, and 

 over these horizontal strata. This is one instance of many 

 confirming Mr. Saussure's remark of the irregnlarity of the 

 strata of secondary mountains as they approach the primary^ 

 I did not find a single block of primitive stone in this val- 



Coitres. ley. At Samoin, the aspect of which is certainly the hottest 



in the valley, I observed some cretins. On the left of the 



Chalybeate ^^ad from Taninge, about an hour's journey before we reach 



'pring. Samoin, is a chalybeate spring. 



Bnson or Br^- Mount Brison, called Br/'xron by naturalists and geogra- 

 phers, forms with the Mole the entrance of the vale of 

 Arve. Jt is of compact limestone, and W. S. W. from the 

 Mole. Its summit toward this mountain is perpendicular 

 to a great depth, while its strata slope toward the Alps, 

 though very steep at the top. Its foot is covered with large 

 strata, nearly perpendicular, resting against the body ot the 



Natural ice- mountain. In it there is a natural icehouse, containing ice 

 ouse. j^ij ^y^g ^.^^^ round, tliough it is of little depth. On the 25th 



of July, 1800, the temperature of this cavern was 0° [32° F.] 

 while that of the open air was Q'b^ [54'5°]. 



Vejpf. The name of Vcrgi is given to a chain of loftier calcareous 



mountains behind this. It declines to the north-east, and 

 rises to the south-west, without any reuiarkable and distinct 



Lakes Saxon- summit. On its back are two lakes ; that of Saxonnex, or 



uex and Lessy. g^^i, to the north ; and Lessy, which is larger but not so 

 deep, to the south. This has no apparent outlet; but be- 

 tween the little town of Entremont and that of petit Bor- 

 nand there is a pretty considerable cascade, spouting forci- 

 bly from a circular aperture in the middle of a rock lifty or 

 sixty yards below the summit of the mountain, and fed by 

 the lake. The limestone that forms this chain is of a dirty 

 gray, of a foliated texture like the schists, and in general 

 rising against the Alps at an angle of 31° or 33°. This is 

 not uniform however, for to the north-east ahove Scionzier 

 /Arched strata, ^^^ strata are arched, or bent double, and of a compact in- 

 stead of a slaty texture. All this chain, which some geo- 

 graphers still call ks monlagncs mauditeSy is very rich in 



plants. 



