Ancient Extent of the Glaciers of Chamonix. 73 



sides of mountains, are all found united at the entrance into 

 the gorge of Montees. 



There still are observers who ascribe all these appear- 

 ances to the action of great currents of water. They think 

 that these diluvian torrents have had the power to transport 

 erratic blocks without blunting the angles, or effacing the 

 ridges. They ascribe the rounded forms of the moutonned 

 rocks, and the strice which cover them, to the rapid passages 

 of these blocks ; they are not alarmed at the idea of admit- 

 ting currents of 400 or 500 metres in depth, running during 

 long periods of time, which presupposes masses of water 

 really incalculable, and whose origin could not be explained. 



But the faith even of the most sturdy diluvialist, would, T 

 think, be shaken, by comparing the marks of the ancient 

 glacier which descended by the valley of Chamonix with the 

 action of the Arve, which has scooped out a bed in the same 

 ground which the glacier has modelled. On the one side 

 moutonned rocks, furrowed with radiated grooves ; in the in- 

 terior, polished surfaces with fine striae, always rectilinear, 

 often ascending ; enormous erratic blocks, with sharp angles 

 and sharp edges, lying on the sides of mountains — such is 

 the work of the glacier. On the other, erosions, sinuous and 

 ramified canals, witli smooth and uniform walls, always lying 

 in the direction of the declivity ; cylindrical cavities called 

 mar mites de geans ; blocks of moderate size, rolled, rounded, 

 the ridges and angles blunt, lying in the bottom of the val- 

 ley — such are the effects of a torrent. They may be studied 

 in the bed of the Arve by the side of the traces of the gla- 

 cier. In the former case, it is a solid body w4iich levels and 

 engraves the rock ; in the second, it is a liquid which inces- 

 santly attacks it, hollows and polishes it, but without causing 

 a single ray. 



On leaving the village of Ouches, the traveller crosses a 

 small plain, and then enters the gorge of Montees, which 

 unites the valley of Chamonix to that of Servoz. On the 

 right the Arve roars at the bottom of a precipice, on the left 

 a low and marshy place extends to the foot of Prairion. All 

 the escarpments of the gorge of Montees, and all the rocks 

 which rise in the valley are moutonned, strewed with large 



