342 DOMAIN IV. TALCOUS. 



towards Mount Rosa. Geologists will perceive 

 the importance of this observation. 



" Mount' Cervin, another mountain near 

 Mount Rosa, is an inaccessible obelisk, of a tri- 

 angular form, which is elevated to the prodigious 

 height of 2309 fathoms above the sea, according 

 to the trigonometrical measurement, taken with 

 the greatest exactness, by Saussure. It is com- 

 posed of three distinct masses, piled the one on 

 the other. 



" That which forms the summit is of a yellow 

 Isabella colour. It is composed of serpentine, 

 mixed with micaceous schistus, calcareous, and 

 quartzy. Saussure has thus judged of its con- 

 struction from other neighbouring summits, 

 which he has visited, and which present exactly 

 the same colour. 



" The mass which is under this is of a grey 

 colour, and formed of gneiss and quartzy mica- 

 ceous schistus. Saussure saw some of its frag- 

 ments. 



" The third exactly resembles the first ; and 

 Saussure found that it is also of serpentine, al- 

 ternating with calcareous micaceous schistus. 



" The base of the pyramid is of serpentine, 

 but of a confused structure. 



<c I repeat, that mountains of serpentine are 

 seldom of a great elevation; and that those 



