322 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



Agassiz was not satisfied with the report 

 of his instruments from these unknown re- 

 gions. He determined to be lowered into one 

 of the so-called wells in the glacier, and thus 

 to visit its interior in person. For this pur- 

 pose he was obliged to turn aside the stream 

 which flowed into the well into a new bed 

 which he caused to be dug for it. This done, 

 he had a strong tripod erected over the open- 

 ing, and, seated upon a board firmly attached 

 by ropes, he was then let down into the well, 

 his friend Escher lying flat on the edge of 

 the precipice, to direct the descent and listen 

 for any warning cry. Agassiz especially de- 

 sired to- ascertain how far the laminated or 

 ribboned structure of the ice (the so-called 

 blue bands) penetrated the mass of the gla- 

 cier. This feature of the glacier had been 

 observed and described by M. Guyot (see 

 p. 292), but Mr. Forbes had called especial at- 

 tention to it, as in his belief connected with 

 the internal conditions of the glacier. It was 

 agreed, as Agassiz bade farewell to his friends 

 on this curious voyage of discovery, that he 

 should be allowed to descend until he called 

 out that they were to lift him. He was low- 

 ered successfully and without accident to a 

 depth of eighty feet. There he encountered 



