A Week 
during the entire day ; the water 
thus produced runs dow orms pools about their base, which 
continues to melt there e time after the sun has set, when 
one avalanche after ano is dislodged, and beginning to fall, 
they continue till the water again congeals, which prevents any 
further descent until the following evening, when the same effect 
being again produced during the day by the same cause, their fall 
is again renewed. I once more prepared myself for sleep, but 
feeling no inclination that way, I amused myself in watching the 
the whole force of the sun 
_ constellations, which being immediately over me, were shining 
with peculiar brightness, and during the course of an hour or 
more that I was thus engaged, I observed slight flashes of light 
passing before my eyes, not unlike aurora borealis; and supposed 
_ it an optical illusion, probably caused by the glare from ‘the sun 
and snow to which my eyes had been exposed during the day ; 
but as they became more frequent, I satisfied myself that they 
Were real. Rising and looking down in the direction of Chamo- 
nix, I discovered at once the cause, which was a thunder shower 
in the valley. The sillons [streaks] of electricity presented a 
beautiful sight, as they sported amid the dense clouds that over- 
hung the village. There was none of that dazzling brightness 
presented by the lightning seen when below the cloud, but merely 
the red zigzag or forked lines, owing doubtless to the cloud being 
between us and the electric fluid. Although the lightning could — 
be distinctly seen, we could not detect the slightest sound of 
thunder; whether this was caused by any peculiar condition of 
the atmosphere at the time, or by the rareness of the air, or our 
distance, or whether it is a constant phenomenon here, I am un- 
able to say. There was however, much thunder in the valley, 
aud some very heavy explosions too, I was informed by the land- 
4 on my return the next day. 
We left the Grand Mulets between 2 and 3 o’clock, A. M., and . 
and arrived at the Grand Plateau between 8 and 9 o’clock. The 
View from this elevated point is almost boundless, and the whole 
extent of country for miles on every side (except that portion 
Where the prospect is interrupted by the summit of Mont Blanc) 
extended itself far and wide, presenting its plains, mountains and 
lakes, as distinctly as if spread out upon a map before the eye. 
The Plateau is an almost level plain, with an area I should judge, 
of ten acres. The Roches Rouges are between this point and 
