GLACIAL DRIFT. 239 



Local Glaciers in the White Mountains. 



I will now present whatever additional facts may be known respecting 

 the existence of former glaciers radiating from the White Mountain high- 

 lands. We have seen that my father and Prof. Agassiz agreed as to the 

 nature of the glacial markings upon the mountains, — that they belonged 

 to the older and continental sheet, a south-east movement proceeding up 

 hill whenever obstacles made it necessary. The markings described by 

 Packard and Vose, claimed to have been the result of local glaciation in 

 the Peabody valley, have been shown to belong to the older movement. 

 The others mentioned by Packard in Jackson are properly local, and will 

 be described presently. 



In order to prove that glaciers have radiated in all directions from the 

 White Mountains, it is necessary to find evidences of northerly or north- 

 west motion. Evidences of valley movements towards the south-east can 

 easily be referred to the general south-east movement, modified slightly 

 by the topography. If nothing else could be found, the doctrine of the 

 existence of local glaciers would depend upon unreliable evidence. The 

 researches of Agassiz about Bethlehem were the first in this direction in 

 New Hampshire. He found evidence of a movement opposite to that of 

 the general drift. Hence this must have been different from the com- 

 mon drift, and, taken in connection with the other features described, it 

 was found to have been local, and existed in the decline of the ice period 

 after the continental sheet had mostly disappeared. The action was 

 rarely sufficiently energetic to score the ledges. Agassiz does not rely 

 upon that class of evidence in maintaining his position. The ice of this 

 Franconia-Bethlehem movement has passed over ledges, but has not 

 smoothed or striated them. The boulders which went southerly in obe- 

 dience to the south-east movement were simply pushed back towards 

 their source ; and we find very few cases of their protrusion beyond their 

 starting-point. I will first add whatever observations I can in elucidation 

 of this specific example, and then describe the other observed facts seen 

 nearer the mountains. 



The starting-point of this glacier was in the prominent valley back of 

 Eagle Cliff, on the north-west flank of Mt. Lafayette. This was visited 

 by my father in 185 1, and a sketch of the phenomena seen described 



