1836-38.] VISIT TO CHAMOUNIX. 127 



On the day after his return from the Oberland, he 

 again left Neuchatel en route for Chamounix, taking 

 with him, besides his first companions, several artists 

 and a young doctor, making a company of ten persons. 

 Their first halt was at Bex, the Mecca of glacialists, to 

 visit de Charpentier ; who, with his usual generous hos- 

 pitality and good nature, received the whole party and 

 showed all the glacial remains, and even the stratig- 

 raphy of the salt mines, giving most clear and impor- 

 tant explanations. From Bex Agassiz and his party 

 visited, on foot, the valley of the Rhone between Bex 

 and St. Maurice, the traces of the landslide of the Dent- 

 du-Midi, and all the places most remarkable for glacial 

 action shown to Agassiz two years previously by Venetz 

 and de Charpentier. Crossing from the Valais by Valor- 

 sine to the valley of Chamounix, they visited the " Gla- 

 cier des Bois," Montanvert, and "la mer de glace," 

 whence they returned by the Col de Balme to Bex, 

 visiting on the way the "Glacier du Trient." 



As soon as they had returned to Neuchatel, after a 

 week's absence, they started again, but this time to go 

 to the meeting of the Geological Society of France, at 

 Porrentruy, the 5th of September. The meeting, pre- 

 sided over by Thurmann, was largely attended and 

 most important. The glacial question was debated in 

 the most spirited way ; for de Charpentier was there, 

 and Agassiz, excited by his presence, surpassed himself 

 in trying to convert to the new theory every one pres- 

 ent, and gave a vivid exposition of what he had just 

 seen in the Bernese Oberland and at Chamounix. This 



