38 FIFTH LETTER ON GLACIERS. [1844. 



were unaltered in appearance, only perhaps less prominent (at 

 least, this was the remark of the guides), which would naturally 

 arise from the less superficial waste of the ice. 



There was no difficulty in recognising the " Pierre platte," 

 which, indeed, had recently slid off an ice pedestal similar to 

 that of the preceding year (as figured in the frontispiece to 

 my volume of Travels), but far less stupendous. As all the 

 marks in the rock which I had at different places cut with a 

 pick, and painted red, were as visible and fresh as on the day 

 they were fixed, there was no difficulty in recovering, to a 

 nicety, the exact position of the block on any day on which it 

 was observed in 1842, and comparing it with its new position. 

 Accordingly, referring to the starting point on the 27th June 

 1842, I found that it had moved, down to the 12th Sep- 

 tember 1843, or in 442 days, 320 feet, that is, 8.7 inches 

 daily. I have not now my own work to refer to ; but 1 

 believe it will be there found, that the motion of the " Pierre 

 platte," during the hottest summer months, was only between 

 9 and 10 inches at a mean.* It is plain, therefore, that during 

 the remainder of the year (throughout the greater part, or nearly 

 the whole of which, this part of the glacier is covered with 

 snow), the motion, though somewhat diminished, was very far 

 indeed from ceasing, thus entirely confirming the observations 

 of Balmat, near the lower end of the glacier. 



Finding that my strength and the time permitted, I pur- 

 sued my excursion up to the level of the Jardin, opposite the 

 glacier of Talefre, near the Aiguille du Moine. I had a lively 

 satisfaction in comparing my engraved map with the natural 

 features of the country, and finding it a tolerably faithful repre- 

 sentation ; and I checked everywhere, with minute care, the 

 definition I had given of the direction of the ribboned structure 

 of the ice at different parts of the glacier. The observations 

 formerly made I found to be rigorously exact ; and especially 

 these two facts, which at once put an end to any idea of the 

 ribboned structure being a prolongation or deformation of the 



* [See Travels in the Alps, p. 140.] 



