Beport of the Researches of M. Agassiz, 155 



The following is the result derived from the series of stakes 

 arranged across the glacier, as measured on the 20th of July 

 1842. There were there six stakes, of which three were placed 

 upon the Lauter-Aar branch, and three upon the Finster-Aar, 

 and which we shall designate on both sides by the numbers 

 1, 2, 3, naming as No. 1, the stake which was nearest the 

 centre of the glacier, or the middle moraine ; as No. 2, the 

 next ; and as No. 3, the last, or that which was nearest to the 

 border of the valley. Upon the branch of the Finster-Aar 

 No. 1, had advanced 269 feet ; No. 2, 225 feet ; and No. 3, 

 160 feet. And upon the branch of Lauter-Aar, No. 1 had 

 advanced 245.5 feet ; No. 2, 209.5 ; and No. 3, 125.0 feet. 

 The block of M. Hugi's old hut, which lay in the line of obser- 

 vation, had advanced in the same extent as No. 1 of the 

 Finster-Aar branch, that is to say, to the extent of 269 feet. 



Hence it results that the advance of the different portions 

 of the glacier presents a curve whose convexity is inclined 

 downwards. Far, then, from confirming the opinion which M. 

 Agassiz had previously hazarded, that the margins advance 

 more rapidly than the middle, we, on the contrary, find that 

 the centre advances much more than the sides, almost even 

 to double the extent, being in the ratio of 245 feet to 125 

 in the one case, and of 269 to 160 in the other. 



The several blocks whose position had been determined 

 with a view to ascertain the longitudinal advance of the 

 glacier, have furnished results which are not less important. 

 There are five of the blocks which we shall distinguish by the 

 names A, B, C, D, and E. A was the block of the Hotel des 

 Neuchatelois, at a distance of 3077 feet from the Abschwung ; 

 B was the block of M. Hugi's hut, at the distance from the same 

 point of 5176 feet ; C was a large block above the grand 

 cone, at the distance of 13,950 feet ; D, another at the dis- 

 tance from the same point of 21,970 feet ; and finally E, 

 another, at the distance of 24,470 feet, and at about 3000 feet 

 from the extremity of the glacier. Between the 5th of Sep- 

 tember 1841, in which the positions of these blocks was first 

 determined, and the 5th of September 1842, when they were 

 measured afresh, the following diiference in the numbers was 

 ascertained. A had advanced 274 feet, B 291, C 219, D 168, 



