340 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



glacier of Salena without difficulty, which we also 

 crossed with no great delay. We *had then a tedious 

 descent over rough moraines, here and there diversified 

 by patches of the most superb vegetation, till we came 

 to a torrent which we understood to descend from the 

 glacier of Orny, where we halted for a short time at 

 6h. 45m. This stream we also crossed without difficulty, 

 and had now reached the limit of trees ; we had a stony 

 and laborious descent through woods nearly pathless 

 before we came to a certain track. By this time we had 

 passed the termination of the glacier of Salena, which 

 we saw distinctly below us. Amidst the wood were 

 vast blocks of the granite of Orny, and, looking back, 

 fine views of the glacier we had left ; but the mists 

 were again fallen below the level of the place of our 

 perplexity, so that, but for the momentary rise, we must 

 have remained in much anxiety. At 7h. 55m., we 

 reached the village of Praz de Fort, in Val Ferret, close 

 to the remarkable moraine which protrudes into the 

 valley, and which attracts the attention of all travellers. 

 An hour's sharp walking brought us to Orsieres, which 

 we entered at 9 P.M., 12^- hours from the Col de Balme.' 

 *#***# 



This was Forbes's last expedition among the higher 

 glaciers of the Alps. He left them, as he thought, 

 to return, but never again was it given to him to see 

 with his bodily eyes those ' everlasting hills ' which he 

 loved so well, and among which he had laboured so 

 faithfully. 



He loved them to the last. ' My heart/ he has wist- 

 fully said, ' remains where my body can never be. . . . 

 My yearnings towards the Colinton banks, and towards 

 the Swiss mountains, are much on a par both, home- 

 sickness ! ' 



