OSCILLATIONS OF THE ALPINE GLACIERS. 333 



arrived in studying the subject: on tlie contrary, we have found everywhere 

 evidence of continuity and harmony in the action of the causes effecting 

 cHiiiatic change, and nothing at all to favor the ojiposite and popular idea 

 of irregularity and violent alternations of change. As far as tlie present 

 writer can make out from repeated examiuations of tlie Alpine regions, the 

 disappearance of tlie ice of the " Glacial epoch " is not something which 

 took place a long time ago, but something which is now going on. But, as 

 we have seen with regard to the diminution of the former lacustrine basins 

 of various desiccating areas of the earth, that this has not gone on with 

 regularity, but has been subjected to man}' oscillations, so we have every 

 reason to believe that the same thing is true of the glaciers. 



In regard to the fact of oscillations of tlie Alpine glaciers having taken 

 place in former times, the information is somewhat abundant, but, unfor- 

 tunately, far from precise, so that it is quite impossible to draw aziy other 

 definite conclusions than those which have been already presented. Some- 

 times the advance in certain regions has been so rapid as to excite the 

 greatest alarm among tho.se living in the neighborhood ;* at other times the 

 recession has attracted an cipial amount of attention. At the present time 

 it is the decrea.se of the glaciers which is looked upon as a misfortune, for 

 the money value of the picturesque element in tlie Alps is now universally 

 recognized by the Swiss. 



Gruner devotes a chapter of his work, published in 1760, on the ice- 

 mountains of Switzerland, to what he calls the accidental events [Zufallig- 

 keiten] of the glaciers. A large part of this chapter is taken up with the 

 subject of their oscillation.s, and it is evident that at the time of the appear- 

 ance of the work the mountaineers of the Alps were generally complaining 

 of an advance of the ice. An attempt is made to give a chronological state- 

 ment of the behavior of the Orindclwald o-laciers ; but, unfortiiuatelv, there 

 are not given any even approximate measurements of distr.uce covered or 

 left bare during the various oscillations. Most of the statements are based 

 on comparisons of landscape views taken at various times, and, of course, the 

 uncertainty of such evidence is very great. The strong impression left on 

 the mind of Gruner was, that the glaciers were, on the whole, gaining in 

 dimensions, and he gives reasons, satisfactory to him.self, perhaps, but to us, at 

 the present day, quite unintelligible, why this should be so. 



* In or about 1690 the inhabitants of Chamouni sent for the Bishop of Annecj' to try wljether he could not 

 arrest, by liis prayers, the forward progress of the glaciers. They did recede immediately after the Bishop's visit, 

 to the extent of an eiirhth of a le.aprue. 



