THE AVALANCHE. 



HREE kinds of avalanches are more or less common in countries having 

 high mountains — namely, ice-avalanches, ground-avalanches, and dust-ava- 

 lanches. Ice-avalanches are either the offspring of glaciers which repose on 

 steep ground, or of those whose career is cut short by cliffs or precipices. In the 

 higher Alps, for example, it is an every day occurrence for huge slices to break 

 away from hanging glaciers, and to go thundering down upon the snow-fields beneath. 

 These falls may be partly attributed to the heat of the sun, and partly to the ever 

 forward motion of the glaciers. From the fact that they generally originate and 

 spend their force in the higher mountains, they are not usually dangerous either 

 to life or to property, though instances have occurred when sad loss of the former 

 or great destruction of the latter has followed the descent of their gigantic masses. 



These ice-avalanches which fall from the sides and from the terminal faces 

 of glaciers not unfrequently follow channels down rocky chasms ; and as they 

 descend by their wonted paths with great regularity, and are confined within 

 narrow limits by the surrounding walls, it is sometimes possible to approach quite 

 close, and to witness the fury of the ice-cataracts as they dash past, without incur- 

 ring any risk. Mr. F. Galton pointed out some years ago in the pages of the 

 Alpine Journal that this might be done with the avalanches which fall on the 

 northern side of the Jungfrau, though he confessed in his description that he 

 did not feel himself altogether safe whilst viewing them from so short a dis- 

 tance. He said, that the first avalanche which fell whilst he was stationed at 



