Geology 



which was acting as a settling-tank for the solid matter 

 in the stream water, accounted for the clearness of the 

 stream where it entered the larger lake below, and for 

 the fact that the delta there was no longer in active 

 growth. 



We now reached the foot of the glacier itself, and 

 established a camp not far from the ice-front, so that we 

 might be able to observe the various phenomena in 

 progress at our leisure. All hands were thankful for the 

 prospect of a rest after the forced marches of the last 

 few days, and consequently an investigation of the end 

 of the glacier, which was within a quarter of a mile of the 

 camp, was made the next item in our programme. 



The stream which issued from the end of the glacier 

 was running in a deep, narrow gorge, the walls of which 

 were in many cases overhanging, and as the water 

 occupied its floor from side to side we were unable to 

 effect an entrance. 



The rocks were everywhere fluted and striated by 

 the action of the glacier, and most of them bore the 

 characteristic form of the roche moutonnde. The loose 

 stones which were scattered over their surfaces also 

 showed unmistakable signs of the rough treatment which 

 they had received, many of them being striated. There 

 was, however, a large number of angular stones which 

 borne no signs of glaciation, nor yet of water action, and 

 these we afterwards found to be derived from the stony 

 materials borne on the top of the ice, and which, in con- 

 sequence, had been subjected to ordinary atmospheric 

 weathering only. 



At the upper end of the gorge a tongue of ice pene- 

 trated it for some distance from the surface, and it was 



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