THE FOKMS OF WATEE IN CLOUDS, RIVERS, ETC. 69 



A-gassiz and Forbes ; we verify tlieir results, and now 

 proceed to something new. Crossing the Glacier du 

 Geant, which occupies more than half the valley, we 

 find that our line of stakes is not yet at an end. The 

 10th stake^ stands on the part of the ice which comes 

 from the Talefre. 



1 66. Now the motion of the sides is slow, because of 

 the friction of the ice against its boundaries ; but then 

 one would think that midway between the boundaries, 

 where the friction of the sides is least, the motion 

 ought to be greatest. This is clearly not the case ; for 

 though the 10th stake is nearer than the 9th to the 

 eastern or Chapeau side of the valley, the 10th stake 

 surpasses the 9th by 6 inches a day. 



167. Here we have something to think of; but before 

 a natural philosopher can think with comfort he must 

 be perfectly sure of his facts. The foregoing line ran 

 across the glacier a little below the Montanvert. We 

 will run another line across a little way above the hotel. 

 On July 18 we set out this line, and to multiply our 

 chances of discovery we place along it 31 stakes. On 

 the subsequent day five of these were found unfit for 

 use; but here are the distances passed over by th« 

 remaining six-and- twenty in 24 hours. 



Slako 



West 



Second Line 

 2 3 4 



: BB' tjpon the Sketch. 

 5 6 7 8 9 10 



11 



12 



13 



Inches 





11 12 15 



15 16 17 18 19 20 



20 



21 



21 



Stake 





15 16 17 



18 19 20 21 22 23 



24 



25 



26 



Inches 





23 23 23 



21 23 21 25 22 22 



23 



25 



26 



East 



