CLOUDS AND RIVERS, ICE AND GLACIERS. 45 



seen to the right of the preceding engraving of the Mer 

 de Glace. Below the cleft is also seen the little glacier 

 just referred to. 



117. We may reach this cleft by a steep gully, visible 

 from our present position, and leading directly up 

 fco the cleft. But these gullies, or couloirs, are very 

 dangerous, being the pathways of stones falling from 

 the heights. We will therefore take the rocks to the 

 left of the gully, by close inspection ascertain their as- 

 sailable points, and there attack them. In the Alps 

 a? elsewhere wonderful things may be done by looking 

 steadfastly at difficulties, and testing them wherever 

 they appear assailable. We thus reach our station, 

 where the glory of the prospect, and the insight that 

 we gain as to the formation of the Mer de Glace, far 

 more than repay us for the labour of our ascent. 



118. For we see the glacier below us, stretching its 

 frozen tongue downwards past the Montanvert. And 

 we now find this single glacier branching out into three 

 others, some of them wider than itself. Regard the 

 branch to the right, the Glacier du Geant. It stretches 

 smoothly up for a long distance, then becomes disturbed, 

 and then changes to a great frozen cascade, down which 

 the ice appears to tumble in wild confusion. Above 

 the cascade you see an expanse of shining snow, oc- 

 cupying an area of some square miles. 



