260 THE LIFE- OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



their combined streams form the ^Tnter-Aar Gletscher, 

 which travels for five miles from the Abswung before it 

 gives birth at its lower extremity to the waters of the 

 Aar. On the medial moraine, which, taking its rise from 

 the point of junction of the two branches, stretches down 

 the centre of the main glacier, may still be seen the 

 remains of the huge rock which was now to be their only 

 shelter for some days, although the ice in its patient 

 march has since then borne them many hundred yards in 

 the direction of the Grimsel. 1 



The following letter to Miss Forbes gives an animated 

 picture of their bivouac life : 



' From M. AGASSIZ' CABIN ON THE AAR GLACIER, 



'8,100/ce* above the Sea. August Wth, 1841. 



* You never, I am sure, got a letter written under cir- 

 cumstances like the present. Here are M. Agassiz, Heath, 

 and I stretched out on beds of hay under a huge detached 

 rock, lying on the ice of one of the greatest glaciers of 

 Switzerland, in the very midst of which we have taken 

 up our abode for some days. The nearest house is the 

 hospice of Grimsel, five hours' walk nearly. But add to 

 all this, that we have passed the night in a storm of 

 thunder, lightning, and snow the most tremendous 

 thunder I ever heard, mixed every now and then with the 

 fall of an avalanche or the rolling down of stones from 

 our own bed the ice. If you will turn to Plate 14 

 of Agassiz' Atlas, . . . you will find a most exact picture 

 of our residence. It is on what is called the moraine 

 of the glacier of the Aar, the immense heap of stones 

 which goes along the centre of the glacier, and which is 

 not all stones to the bottom as you might suppose. It 

 is really ice protected from melting by the covering of 

 stones, so that one side of our parlour and bedroom is a 

 wall of ice, which supports the huge block which makes 

 the roof of our house ; which wall is an object of study 

 by the crevasses which form themselves in it, increased 



1 When Forbes revisited the spot in 1846, the block was found 

 broken in two. 



