THE MASSIF OF MONT BLANC. 
103 
The proportioa of pebbles in this deposit varies 
greatly. Sometimes they form nearly the whole, with 
only enough cement to hold them together. At other 
places they are comparatively few, or even altogether 
absent, in which case it is difficult to distinguish this 
rock from one of the Crystalline Schists. 
The Val Ferret and the valley of Chamouni are 
synclinals, and contain Jurassic strata. 
As regards Mont Blanc itself, “Je n’entreprendrai 
pas,” he says, “de decrire I’apparence du Mont BlaM, 
on ne pen se faire une juste idee de cette chaine 
couverte de frimats 6ternels et orime de mille pointes 
de rochers, sans 1’ avoir visitee. II y a dans la na- 
ture, comme dans les arts, des choses difficiles a 
comprendre, qu’on doit voir 011 entendre plusieurs 
fois pour en saisir la grandeur; il en est ainsi de la 
chaine du Mont Blanc, plus on la voit et la par- 
court, raieux on en saisit la beaute.”* The whole 
district is of singular beauty. “I have climbed much,” 
says Ruskin, “and wandered much, m the heart of 
the high Alps, but I have never yet seen anything 
which equalled the view from the Montanvert.” 
Favre also speaks of this district with gieat, 
though not too great, enthusiasm, as “des heux 
enchantds,” and returned over and over again to the 
* Favre, Rech, Geol,, vol. ii. 
