50 On the Terrestrial Arrangements connected with 



alluded to, and which were originally deposited at the bottom 

 of the sea. 



They have been raised to heights exceeding 10,000 and 

 12,000 feet. I shall here advert to one particular mountain. 

 Six years ago, as I was ascending the Faulhorn, which is 

 situated in the highlands of the Canton Bern, and rises about 

 8,200 feet above the level of the sea, I inquired of my guide 

 concerning the origin of the name given to that mountain. 

 His answer was, because the rocks of which it is composed, 

 are more apt to rot than any others in Switzerland, This was 

 not correctly expressed ; because stones cannot undergo the 

 process of rotting. I understood, however, what he meant to 

 say ; and I became soon enlightened on the subject by ocular 

 inspection. The mountain is formed of a species of slate of 

 a blackish colour, which is easily decomposed by the action of 

 the atmosphere. The water insinuates itself between the 

 laminse, and expanding, when in the act of freezing, tears the 

 rocks asunder ; so that, on the commencement of thaw, large 

 masses of stone are seen to roll down into the valleys below, 

 where they break to pieces, are decomposed, and finally dis- 

 solved into a mould of a deep black colour. On lifting up 

 stones of the size of my fist, or larger, they appeared so soft 

 to the touch, that I could easily reduce them to powder be- 

 tween my fingers. Towards the end of August, I spent a few 

 days on the top of this mountain (the highest in Switzerland, 

 where the traveller can be accommodated with lodgings), with 

 the view of making experiments. It was one of my objects 

 to observe the temperature of the ground in such an altitude. 

 I hardly expected to accomplish this, as it was necessary to fix 

 the thermometer in the ground to the depth of nearly one 

 foot, a thing quite impracticable on heights consisting of solid 

 rock. To my astonishment, on removing the snow, I could, 

 with the greatest ease, penetrate the ground to the depth of 

 several feet, where I discovered a mould so rich, and of a colour 

 so intensely black, that I would think myself fortunate to have 

 some of it in my garden. There, on the borders of eternal 

 snow, we might rear the most delicate garden-plants, were it 

 but possible to provide them with the necessary quantity of 

 heat. This valuable humus was evidently derived from the 



