Lieut.-Col. Dufour on the Cavern of the Rothorn . 291 
which is called Schafloch or Sheep’s Hole, because it affords an 
asylum to these animals from the burning heat of the sun, and 
when surprised by a storm. These mountaineers being only vi- 
sited by a few hunters, are satisfied with a very trifling remu- 
neration : four or five small pieces of money are to them a little 
treasure. 
From the cottage to the cavern occupied us an hour, al- 
though in a direct line the distance seemed Very short. The 
ascent is very steep (from 30° to 35°), and we were obliged to 
make use of our hands to assist us in climbing, especially at a 
place where we passed over the summit of a rock, with a preci- 
pice on each side. This bad step, which some people would 
not dare to attempt, is not in reality dangerous, if one preserves 
their presence of mind, and is accompanied by a guide : it is 
short, and after having passed it, we found ourselves above the 
pine forest, and at the foot of the perpendicular rocks, round 
which we ascended for a quarter of an hour, walking upon the 
steps formed by the strata. 
These rocks are calcareous, and of a deep grey colour: they are 
mixed with clay, are in beds, from eight to twelve inches thick, 
in the direction of the valley, arid dipping from 15° to 20° to- 
wards the west. The strata are cut by fissures perpendicular 
to them, and to the general plane of the slope, so that they pre- 
sent externally the appearance of a wall of tolerably regular 
rouble- work. The peaks of the' mountains are crowned by a 
sandstone, containing a great many small particles of quartz, 
which seems to be placed there as a witness of the antient order 
of things. A great many fragments of this rock are to be 
found on the side of the mountain. 
I had not been able to provide myself with a barometer suffi- 
ciently portable, consequently I could not ascertain the exact 
height of the grotto above the Lake of Thun ; but by comparing 
the height of the Rothorn with that of the surrounding moun- 
tains, I fixed it at nearly two-thirds of the Niesen ; that is to 
say, at about 3700 feet (5480 feet above the level of the sea). 
It is covered by a mass of rocks of 1000 or 1500 feet in thick- 
ness, the numerous fissures of which permit the water to pass 
through, and fall drop by drop into the interior of the cavern. 
This water, cooled by passing through the strata of air which 
t 2 
