274 Professor Agassiz on the Glacier Theory. 



here as in a mass of dough, which is made to ferment, and all 

 of whose parts become dilated. Now, this is precisely what 

 takes place in glaciers, as I have been enabled to infer from 

 the distance which separates the block under which we lived, 

 from another large block situated lower down, and known by 

 the name of Hugi's Hut {Cabane de Hug'i). The two huts are 

 placed on the summit of the great medial moraine, conse- 

 quently in the middle of the glacier, and under precisely simi- 

 lar conditions. When I established myself on the glacier in 

 the month of August 1840, the distance from the Hotel des 

 Neuchdtelois to the Cahane Hugi was 1890 feet ; in the month 

 of August 1841, the distance amounted to upwards of 2000 

 feet; hence it had increased by about 110 feet.* On the 

 other hand, we have just seen that the distance of the Hotel 

 des Neuchdtelois from the Ahschnning^ had been augmented 

 during the same year by 166 feet in 2457 ; whence it results, 

 that the progression was about the same in the two spaces 

 (166 feet in 2457, and 110 in 1890). Last year, before quit- 

 ting the glacier, I took, along with my friend M. Escher, 

 other measurements,. which will serve, I hope, to confirm these 

 results. We ranged in a line, at three different places, a 

 series of stakes, whose positions corresponded exactly with 

 fixed points on both sides of the glacier. As these stakes 

 are all inserted to a depth of 10 feet, I hope to find them still 

 erect this year. It is probable that they will no longer be in 

 line, and those which have advanced the farthest in the direc- 

 tion of the slope of the glacier, will indicate the portions of 

 the glacier which have progressed most rapidly. 



But the glacier was not only dilated in the direction of its 

 sloper it was also considerably swollen, especially in the branch 

 of the Finsteraar, at some distance from our hut. This swell- 

 ing was so visible, that on approaching it for the first time, 

 in the month of August last, every one was struck, the guides 



* I cannot give these numbers exactly to a foot, owing to the deficiency of 

 our means of measurement ; but if there be an error, it cannot, at all events, 

 be considerable, as we measured the distances with a rod, 



