302 LOUIS AGASSIZ, 



until then reputed unscalable, — were ascend- 

 ed, and the limit of glacial action discovered ; 

 in short all the physical laws of the glacier 

 were brought to light." 



We now return to the personal narrative. 

 After a number of days spent in the study of 

 the local phenomena, the band of workers 

 turned their attention to the second part of 

 their programme, namely, the ascent of the 

 Strahleck, by crossing which and descending 

 on the other side, they intended to reach Grin- 

 delwald. One morning, then, toward the end 

 of August, their guides, according to agree- 

 ment, aroused them at three o'clock, — an 

 hour earlier than their usual roll-call. The 

 first glance outside spread a general chill of 

 disappointment over the party, for they found 

 themselves beleaguered by a wall of fog on 

 every side. But Leuthold, as he lighted the 

 fire and prepared breakfast, bade them not 

 despair, — the sun might make all right. In a 

 few moments, one by one, the summits of the 

 Schreckhorn, the Finsteraarhorn, the Ober- 

 aarhorn, the Altmaner, the Scheuchzerhorn, 

 lighted by the first rays of the sun, came out 

 like islands above the ocean of mist, which 

 softly broke away and vanished with the ad- 

 vancing light. In about three hours they 



