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GLACIAL PHENOMENA AND SUPERFICIAL DEPOSITS. 245 
which glacial striation was actually observed, the surfaces of the rocks 
having generally been too much broken up for their preservation. Near 
here also, some large gravel terraces remain on the mountain sides, and 
in one place the brook has cut through a mass of tough boulder-clay of a 
light fawn colour. 
568. Four miles up the valley, on the western side of the watershed 
which runs south-eastward from the Forks, it is blocked by a series of 
very evident and perfect moraine mounds, traces of which extend for 
nearly a mile. Those lowest down the valley, have been much modified 
by water, and are merely steep rounded and irregular knolls; while those 
last left by the glacier, still retain their abrupt ridge-like form, and are 
convex downward. Where a small lateral valley joins the main one, a 
straight-edged ridge has been produced by the interference of its glacier, 
after the retreat of the larger one. The moraine has, no doubt, at one 
time held in a lake, similar to those now existing in many of the vallies,_ 
but has long ago been cut through by thestream. The highest portion of the 
moraine is situated about five miles below the head of the valley, and 
no intermediate ridges were observed. Here, and elsewhere, there are 
indications of the rather sudden conclusion of the period of cold, and 
retreat of the glaciers. 
569. The upper ends of the valleys, surrounding the higher peaks 
and ridges, are generally very abrupt, and take the form of cirques, 
or amphitheatrical depressions, of great depth, in the mountain sides. 
The backs and sides of these are often nearly vertical, and they are some- 
times only separated laterally, by steep knife-edge-like ridges, the crests of 
which form the most practicable paths to the summits. Hach of these 
upper terminations of the valleys, generally also shows a smal lake, or 
pond, in the hollow of the surrounding cliffs; the basin of which has 
evidently been formed by glacier ice—which must here have been 
descending almost vertically—in the moraine matter or shattered rocky 
floor. Further down some of the valleys, long river-like lakes are seen, 
evidently occupying the beds of old glaciers, but whether held in by 
moraine matter or not, 1 was unable to determine. The water of the 
smaller lakes in the upper ends of the valleys, as seen from the heights 
around, is of a beautiful semi-opalescent indigo-blue, and must be of 
considerable depth. The lakes are supplied in part by the great banks of 
perennial snow, which appear in these sheltered hollows. The snow 
though not of the consistency of ice, is firm enough to be walked over 
with ease, and has, no doubt, kept up the direct succession, from the 
