22 The Life and Writings of Agassiz, 



It was necessary to examine the glaciers not only at their 

 termination, but also throughout their whole extent, to as- 

 certain the influence of the irregularities of the soil on their 

 movements ; the temperature of the ice, and the effect of ex- 

 ternal agencies upon it, under all circumstances. In a word, 

 it was necessary to do what had never been done before, 

 namely, to establish an intimate acquaintance with the gla- 

 ciers. 



M. Agassiz, after having visited in succession most of the 

 glaciers, fixed his head quarters at the Glacier of the Aar, 

 whither he went for eight years consecutively with his friends, 

 to pass his summer vacations ; at first, with no shelter ex- 

 cept a large boulder on the middle of the glacier, and which 

 soon became famous under the name of the Hotel des Neu- 

 chdtelois. Afterwards he built a little stone cabin on the 

 left margin of the glacier ; this received the name of the 

 " Pavilion." Here he prosecuted the long series of researches 

 that have obtained so much celebrity in the scientific world. 



Although his retreat was situate 8000 feet above the level 

 of the sea, and 12 miles from any habitation, it was soon well 

 known throughout the country, and there might often be seen 

 assembled a select company, in which all nations were wor- 

 thily represented. 



The scientific results obtained from these investigations 

 are contained in two works. The first, published in 1840, 

 under the title of " Etudes sur les Glaciers^'' comprises a de- 

 scription, with plates, of the principal phenomena connected 

 with the glaciers, together with a detailed account of the 

 author's views as to their former extent. The second, re- 

 cently published, under the name of " Systeme Glaciaire,'^ is 

 the last, and seems to us likely to be one of the most success- 

 ful works of the author ; it contains a detailed account of 

 the investigations made during his last five visits (from 1841 

 to 1845), with the view to determine the mode of progression 

 of the glaciers in all parts of their course at all seasons of 

 the year, and under all conditions ' of temperature. This 

 work is accompanied by beautiful plates, and a topographi- 

 cal chart of the glacier of the Aar, on a very large scale 

 (x^rJffir)* allowing even the minutest details of the surface 



