1836-37-] OLD GLACIERS TN VALAIS. 75 



of the " Denkschiften der allgemeine Schweizerischen 

 Gesellschaft fiir die gesammten Naturwissenchaften." 



As this initial memoir on the glacial epoch is 

 extremely rare, I will quote the conclusions and one 

 paragraph : - 



Monsieur Perraudin, conseiller de la commune de Bagnes, habile 

 chasseur de chamois, et amateur de ces sortes d'observations [on 

 old moraines], nous a assure que les glaciers de Severen, de Loui, 

 et de la Chaux-de-Sarayer, tous dans la vallee de Bagnes, ont des 

 moraines fort reconnaissables, qui sont environ a une lieue de la 

 glace actuelle. . . . 



Nous sommes done en quelques manieres autorises a croire : - 



i) Que les moraines qui se trouvent a une distance considerable 

 des glaciers, datent d\me epoque qui se perd dans les units des 

 temps. . . . 



6) One les glaciers parviendront difficilement a la hauteur gigan- 

 tesque, dont nous trouvons tant de vestiges. . . . 



Civil Engineer Venetz was not educated as a scientific 

 man, and he did not understand the scientific method of 

 marshalling and classifying facts and observations. But 

 he found in his friend de Charpentier the best possible 

 man to systematize and construct a new science. If it 

 was Venetz who developed and sustained the hypothesis 

 of the chamois hunter, Perraudin, and awaked de Char- 

 pentier's interest in the question, it was de Charpentier, 

 who by his scientific method of observation, his clear 

 and logical reasoning, accumulated and classified on 

 truly scientific bases all the material proofs, such as the 

 moraines^ the roclies moutonnces polies et strifes, the 

 cailloux strie's, the bone glaciaire, etc., and to de Char- 

 pentier is due the glacial doctrine and the glacial theory. 



As early as 1833, de Charpentier had gathered round 



