40 Historical Notes on the 



gentleman, which brought us to the upper part of the lake where, in a 

 charming wooded gully, a shepherd's hut was situated amongst the 

 beech trees. 



The valley at the head of the lake continues for about five miles to 

 have a breadth of about two miles, being formed by the delta deposits 

 of the river, which has so far filled the lake, and through which it 

 flows now very sluggishly. Where no fans of lateral watercourses 

 reach the valley, the ground is exceedingly swampy and difficult to 

 travel over till the valleys of the two main rivers are reached. Instead 

 of taking to the river-bed we were therefore obliged to seek our way 

 over the low rocky hillocks (true roclies moutonnees) and the morainic 

 accumulations between them which here border the eastern side of the 

 valley. Many swampy water-courses had to be crossed, and a dense 

 vegetation of TTild Irishmen and Speargrasses which generally covered 

 the hill sides, made travelling very laborious. After several miles of 

 this slow work we at last entered the river-bed of the Dobson, and 

 camped at the edge of a small beech forest, on the evening of the 

 24th of April. Leaving again next morning, and advancing north- 

 wards, the character of the valley becomes more and more truly 

 alpine ; but the beauty of the exquisite scenery is still heightened by 

 the magnificent vegetation, mostly consisting of Fagus cliffortioid.es 

 (the White Birch of the settlers), which covers the mountain sides for 

 about 1,000 feet, succeeded above by alpine vegetation, over and 

 through which the rocky pinnacles, pyramids, and other masses — often 

 shaped into fantastic forms — stretch towards the sky. Perpetual 

 snow, first only accumulating in deep well-shaded localities,, but 

 augmenting in quantity the more we ascend the valley, and numerous 

 small waterfalls, giving life and animation to the solitary landscape 

 around us, make their appearance. At several spots on both sides of 

 the valley, the forest has been destroyed, often in a straight narrow 

 line down the mountain, as if a gigantic road had been cut from 

 summit to bottom, whilst at others a whole hill side had been laid 

 bare, both being the effect of numerous avalanches. After II miles, 

 the valley contracts, and the river winds its course through an old 

 moraine which lies across it. These ancient glacier accumulations are 

 covered with a dense sub-alpine vegetation which is nearly impene- 

 trable to horse or man ; but as the river, owing to the favourable 

 season (end of April) was very low, no difficulty was experienced in 

 travelling along its bed. or by crossing or re-crossing it. The contrast 

 between the eastern and western side of the valley becomes now very 



