*4 THE FOKMS OF WATER IN 



114. Starting from the Montanvert with the glacier 

 below us to our left, we soon reach some rocks resem- 

 bling the Mauvais Pas ; they are called les Ponts. We 

 cross them and reach V Angle, where we quit the land for 

 (he ice. We walk up the glacier, but before reaching 

 the promontory called Trelaporte, we take once more to 

 the mountain side ; for though the path here has been 

 forsaken on account of its danger, for the sake of know- 

 ledge we are prepared to incur danger to a reasonable 

 extent. A little glacier reposes on the slope to our 

 right. We may see a huge boulder or two poised on 

 the end of the glacier, and, if fortunate, also see the 

 boulder liberated and plunging violently down the slope. 

 Presence of mind is all that is necessary to render our 

 safety certain ; but travellers do not always show pre- 

 sence of mind, and hence the path which formerly led 

 over this slope has been forsaken. The whole slope is 

 cumbered by masses of rock which this little glacier has 

 sent down. These I wished you to see ; by and by 

 they shall be fully accounted for. 



115. Above Trelaporte to the right you see a most 

 singular cleft in the rocks, in the middle of which 

 stands an isolated pillar, hewn out by the weather. 

 Our next object is to get to the tower of rock to the left 

 of that cleft, for from that position we shall gain a 

 most commanding and instructive view of the Mer de 

 Glace and its sources. 



116. The cleft referred to, with its pillar, may l> 



