xv.] FORBES 9 GLACIER DISCOrERIES. 511 



the source of the glacier, 1 and their approximate perpen- 

 dicularity to the veined structure, exhibits a sound 

 though somewhat imperfect acquaintance with the nature 

 of stresses in a viscous mass. 



To say that Forbes thoroughly explained the beha- 

 viour of glaciers would be an exaggeration ; but he must 

 be allowed the great credit of being the Copernicus or 

 ler of this science ; the man who, though no doubt 

 (1 to some extent by a somewhat imperfect analogy, 

 first swept away from the subject the mass of nonsense 

 with which it had been overlaid, first clearly obtained 

 from observation, Dot from dogma or d priori reasoning, 

 its fundamental facts, and first put them together into 

 a simple, complete, and connected whole : and who 

 must therefore ever stand forward in the history of the 

 question as one of its most effective and scientific pro- 

 moters. The mode in which he arrived at these results 

 is vividly described by himself in one of the preceding 

 extracts; but no such mere detached passages can give 

 the reader any proper idea of the value and interest 

 of his 7V"/v/x through the Alps, which is one of the 

 most charming books it has been our good fortune to 

 meet with. There is an utter absence of self, entire 

 devotion to his subject, and a freshness and simplicity of 

 manner thoroughly in keeping with the keen penetration 

 of tin- ol.M-rver. Other works of Forbes, connected with 

 this subject, are A T <//W// <//,</ //* (Jlaciers, 1853, and 

 Occ<> r<'i>ers, IK 



\\ who n<>\v see these things by the light which he 



mainly instrumental in throwing upon them, and 



which has so immensely smoothed though not wholly 



removed their difficulties, mi^ht l>e in danger of under- 



- rendered to this part of 



science, did we not reflect that 'absolute u- ' is 



'ion of the theories held by a< ut.- men 



1 This conv. ; been taken ly Aj issi/. .H .1 proof that the -^ 



moved faster than the con us; \\lul.- Kcmlu, en 



assuming tic m to be concave to the sourc* . \ deduced tho truth 



that the central portions move faster than tho sides. 



