ICE AND GLACIERS. 



Although, as the map shows, only 

 a comparatively very small portion 

 of the glacier is thus seen and 

 crossed, this way shows sufficiently 

 the magnificent scenes, and also 

 the difficulties of a glacier excur- 

 sion. Bolder wanderers march 

 upwards along the glacier to the 

 Jardin, a rocky cliff clothed with 

 some vegetation, which divides the 

 glacial current of the Glacier du 

 Talefre into two branches; and 

 bolder still they ascend yet higher, 

 to the Col du Geant (11,000 feet 

 above the sea), and down the 

 Italian side to the valley of 

 Aosta. 



The surface of the Mer de Glace 

 shows four of the rocky walls which 

 we have designated as medial mo- 

 raines. The first, nearest the east 

 side of the glacier, is formed where 

 the two arms of the Glacier du Ta- 

 lefre unite at the lower end of the 

 Jardin ; the second proceeds from 

 the union of the glacier in ques- 

 tion with the Glacier de Lechaud ; 

 the third, from the union of the last 

 with the Glacier du Geant ; and the 

 fourth, finally, from the top of the 

 rock-ledge which stretches from the 

 Aiguille du Geant towards the cas- 

 cade (g) of the Glacier du Geant. 



To give you an idea of the 

 slope and the fall of the glacier, 

 I have given in Fig. 15 a longi- 

 tudinal section of it according to 



