PART I.

Produced by Karl Eichwalder, Stephen H. Sentoff and the

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[Illustration: THE MER DE GLACE

Showing the Cleft Station at Trelaporte, les Echelets, the Tacul, the

Periades and the Grande Jorasse.]

THE

GLACIERS OF THE ALPS.

BEING

A NARRATIVE OF EXCURSIONS AND ASCENTS,

AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN AND PHENOMENA OF GLACIERS,

AND

AN EXPOSITION OF THE PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES

TO WHICH THEY ARE RELATED.

BY JOHN TYNDALL, F.R.S.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.

_NEW EDITION._

LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

LONDON, NEW YORK, AND BOMBAY.

1896.

_All rights reserved_

TO

MICHAEL FARADAY,

THIS BOOK

IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.

1860.

PREFACE.

In the following work I have not attempted to mix Narrative and Science,

believing that the mind once interested in the one, cannot with

satisfaction pass abruptly to the other. The book is therefore divided

into Two Parts: the first chiefly narrative, and the second chiefly

scientific.

In Part I. I have sought to convey some notion of the life of an Alpine

explorer, and of the means by which his knowledge is acquired. In Part

II. an attempt is made to classify such knowledge, and to refer the

observed phenomena to their physical causes.

The Second Part of the work is written with a desire to interest

intelligent persons who may not possess any special scientific culture.

For their sakes I have dwelt more fully on principles than I should have

done in presence of a purely scientific audience. The brief sketch of

the nature of Light and Heat, with which Part II. is commenced, will

not, I trust, prove uninteresting to the reader for whom it is more

especially designed.

Should any obscurity exist as to the meaning of the terms Structure,

Dirt-bands, Regelation, Interference, and others, which occur in Part

I., it will entirely disappear in the perusal of Part II.

Two ascents of Mont Blanc and two of Monte Rosa are recorded; but the

aspects of nature, and other circumstances which attracted my attention,

were so different in the respective cases, that repetition was scarcely

possible.

The numerous interesting articles on glaciers which have been published

during the last eighteen months, and the various lively discussions to

which the subject has given birth, have induced me to make myself better

acquainted than I had previously been with the historic aspect of the

question. In some important cases I have stated, with the utmost

possible brevity, the results of my reading, and thus, I trust,

contributed to the formation of a just estimate of men whose labours in

this field were long anterior to my own.

J. T.

_Royal Institution, June, 1860._

PREFATORY NOTE.

"Glaciers of the Alps" was published nearly six and thirty years ago,

and has been long out of print, its teaching in a condensed form having

been embodied in the little book called "Forms of Water." The two books

are, however, distinct in character; each appears to me to supplement

the other; and as the older work is still frequently asked for, I have,

at the suggestion of my husband's Publishers, consented to the present

reprint, which may be followed later on by a reprint of "Hours of

Exercise."

Before reproducing a book written so long ago, I sought to assure myself

that it contained nothing touching the views of others which my husband

might have wished at the present time to alter or omit. With this object

I asked Lord Kelvin to be good enough to read over for me the pages

which deal with the history of the subject and with discussions in which

he himself took an active part. In kind response he writes:--"... After

carefully going through all the passages relating to those old

differences I could not advise the omission of any of them from the

reprint. There were, no doubt, some keen differences of opinion and

judgement among us, and other friends now gone from us, but I think the

statements on controversial points in this beautiful and interesting

book of your husband's are all thoroughly courteous and considerate of

feelings, and have been felt to be so by those whose views were

contested or criticised in them."

The current spelling of Swiss names has changed considerably since

"Glaciers of the Alps" was written, but, except in the very few cases

where an obvious oversight called for correction, the text has been left

unaltered. Only the Index has been made somewhat fuller than it was.

L. C. T.

_January, 1896._

CONTENTS.

PART I.

Page

1.--Introductory. 1

Visit to Penrhyn; the Cleavage of Slate Rocks; Sedgwick's

theory--its difficulties; Sharpe's observations; Sorby's

experiments; Lecture at the Royal Institution; Glacier

Lamination; arrangement of an expedition to Switzerland

2.--Expedition of 1856: the Oberland. 9

Valley of Lauterbrunnen; Pliability of rocks; the Wengern

Alp; the Jungfrau and Silberhorn; Ice avalanches; Glaciers

formed from them; Scene from the Little Scheideck; the Lower

Grindelwald Glacier; the Heisse Platte--its Avalanches; Ice

Minarets and Blocks; Echoes of the Wetterhorn; analogy with

the Reflection of Light from angular mirrors; the

Reichenbach Cascade; Handeck Fall; the Grimsel; the Unteraar

Glacier; hut of M. Dollfuss; Hotel des Neufchatelois; the

Rhone glacier from the Mayenwand; expedition up the glacier;

Coloured Rings round the sun; crevasses of the _neve_;

extraordinary meteorological phenomenon; Spirit of the

Brocken

3.--The Tyrol. 23

Kaunserthal and the Gebatsch Alp; Senner or Cheesemakers;

Gebatsch Glacier; a night in a cowshed; passage to

Lantaufer; a chamois on the rocks; my Guide; the atmospheric

snow-line; passage of the Stelvio; Colour of fresh snow;

Bormio; the pass recrossed by night; aspect of the

mountains; Meran to Unserfrau; passage of the Hochjoch to

Fend; singular hailstorm; wild glacier region; hidden

crevasses; First Paper presented to the Royal Society

4.--Expedition of 1857: the Lake of Geneva. 33

Blueness of the water; the head of the Lake; appearance of

the Rhone; subsidence of particles; Mirage

5.--Chamouni and the Montanvert. 37

Arrival; Coloured Shadows on the snow; Source of the

Arveiron; fall of the Vault; "Sunrise in the Valley of

Chamouni;" Scratched Rocks; quarters at the Montanvert

6.--The Mer de Glace. 42

Not a _Sea_ but a _River_ of ice; Wave-forms on its surface;

their explanation; Structure and Strata; Glacier Tables;

first view of the Dirt Bands; influence of Illumination in

rendering them visible; the Eye incapable of detecting

differences between intense lights

7. 46

Measurements commenced; the "Cleft Station" at Trelaporte;

Regelation of snow granules; two chamois; view of the Mer de

Glace and its Tributaries; _Seracs_ of the Col du Geant;

Sliding and Viscous theories; Rending of the ice; Striae on

its surface; White Ice-seams

8. 57

Alone upon the glacier; Lakes and Rivulets; parallel between

Glacier and Geological disturbance; splendid rainbow; aspect

of the glacier at the base of the Seracs; visit to the Chief

Guide at Chamouni; Liberties granted

9.--The Jardin. 61

Glacier du Talefre; Jardin divides the neve; Blue Veins near

the summit; surrounding scene; Moraines and Avalanches;

Cascade du Talefre; dangers on approaching it from above

10. 64

Lightning and Rain; Spherical hailstones; an evening among

the crevasses; Dangerous Leap; ice-practice; preparations

for an ascent of Mont Blanc

11.--First Ascent of Mont Blanc (1857). 68

Across the mountain to the Glacier des Bossons; its

crevasses; Ladder left behind; consequent difficulties; the

Grands Mulets; Twinkling and change of Colour of the Stars;

moonlight on the mountains; start with one guide;

difficulties among the crevasses; the Petit Plateau; Seracs

of the Dome du Gouter; bad condition of snow; the Grand

Plateau; Coloured Spectra round the sun; the lost Guides;

the Route missed; dangerous ice-slope; Guide exhausted;

cutting steps; cheerless prospect; the Corridor; the Mur de

la Cote; the Petits Mulets; food and drink disappear;

Physiological experiences on the Calotte; Summit attained;

the Clouds and Mountains; experiment on Sound; colour of the

snow; the descent; a solitary prisoner; second night at the

Grands Mulets; Inflammation of eyes; a blind man among the

crevasses; descent to Chamouni; thunder on Mont Blanc

12. 86

Life at the Montanvert; glacier "Blower;" Cascade of the

Talefre; difficulties in setting out lines; departure from

the Montanvert; my hosts; prospect from the Glacier des

Bois; Edouard Simond

13.--Expedition of 1858. 92

Origin and aim of the expedition; Laminated Structure of the

ice

14.--Passage of the Strahleck. 93

Unpromising weather; appearance of the glacier and of the

adjacent mountains; Transverse Protuberances; Dirt Bands;

Structure; a Slip on a snow slope; the Finsteraarhorn; the

Schreckhorn; extraordinary Atmospheric Effects; Summit of

the Strahleck; Grand Amphitheatre; mutations of the clouds;

descent of the rocks; a Bergschrund; fog in the valley;

descent to the Grimsel

15. 99

Ancient Glaciers in the valley of Hasli; Rounded, Polished,

and Striated Rocks; level of the ancient ice; Groovings on

the Grimsel Pass; glacier of the Rhone; descent of the Rhone

valley; the AEggischhorn; Cloud Iridescences; the Aletsch

glacier; the Maerjelen See; Icebergs; Tributaries of the

Aletsch; Grand glacier-region; crevasses; a chamois deceived

16.--Ascent of the Finsteraarhorn. 104

Character of my Guide; iridescent cloud; evening on the

Faulberg; the Jungfrau and her neighbours; a Mountain Cave;

the Jungfrau before dawn; contemplated visit; the Gruenhorn

Luecke; Magnificent Corridor; sunrise; neve of the Viesch

glacier; halt at the base of the Finsteraarhorn; Spurs and

Couloirs of the mountain; Pyramidal Crest; scene of

Agassiz's observations; a hard climb; discipline of such an

ascent; Boiling Point; Registering Thermometer, its fate;

daring utterance; descent by glissades; the Viesch glacier;

hidden crevasses; a brave and competent guide

17. 119

Subsequent days at the AEggischhorn; Afloat on the Icebergs;

Bedding and Structure; Ancient Moraines of the Aletsch;

Scratched Rocks; passage of the mountains to the end of the

glacier; a wild gorge; arrival at Zermatt; the Riffelberg

18.--First Ascent of Monte Rosa. 122

The ascent new to myself and my guide; directions; Ulrich

Lauener; Ominous Clouds; passage of the Goerner Glacier;

Roches Moutonnees; Avalanche from the Twins; gradual advance

of clouds; bridged chasms; Scene from a cliff; apparent

atmospheric struggle; Sound of the snow; Dangerous Edge;

Overhanging Cornice; staff driven through it; increased

obscurity; Rocky Crest; loss of pocket-book; Summit

attained; Boiling Point; fall of snow; exquisite forms of

the Snow Crystals; a shower of frozen blossoms; the descent;

mode of attachment; Startling Avalanche; Blue Light emitted

from the fissures of the fresh snow; Stifling Heat; return

to the Riffel

19. 133

The Rothe Kumm; pleasant companions; difficult descent;

temperatures of rock, air, and grass; Singular Cavern in the

ice; Structure and Stratification

20.--The Goerner Grat and the Riffelhorn; Magnetic Phenomena. 137

Formation and Dissipation of clouds; Scene from the Goerner

Grat; Magnetism of the Rocks; the Compass and Sun at

variance; ascent of the Riffelhorn; Magnetic effects; places

of most intense action; Scratched and Polished Rocks;

Exfoliation of crust produced by the sliding of ancient

glaciers; Magnetic Polarity; Consequent Points; Bearings

from the Riffelhorn; action on a Distant Needle

21. 145

Fog on the Riffelberg; its dissipation; Sunset from the

Goerner Grat; Cloud-wreaths on the Matterhorn; Streamers of

Flame; grand Interference Phenomenon; investigation of

Structure; the Goernerhorn glacier; Western glacier of Monte

Rosa; the Schwarze, Trifti, and Theodule glaciers; welding

of the Tributaries to parallel Strips; Temptation

22.--Second Ascent of Monte Rosa (1858). 151

A Light Scrip; my Guide lent; a substitute; a party on the

mountain; across the glacier and up the rocks; the guide

expostulates; among the crevasses; the guide halts; left

alone; beauty of the mountain; splendid effects of

Diffraction; Cheer from the summit; on the Kamm; climbers

meet; among the rocks; Alone on the Summit; the Axe slips;

the prospect; the descent; serious accident; a word on

climbing alone

23. 160

The Furgge glacier; thunder and lightning; the Weissthor

given up; excursion by Stalden to Saas; Herr Imseng; the

Mattmark See and Hotel; ascent of a boulder; Snow-storm;

cold quarters; the Monte Moro; the Allalein glacier; a noble

vault; Structure and Dirt-bands; stormy weather; Avalanches

at Saas; the Fee glacier; Frozen dust on the

Mischabelhoerner; Snow, Vapour, and Cloud; curious effect on

the hearing; "a Terrible Hole;" singular group; a Song from

'The Robbers'

24. 168

Need of observations on Alpine Temperature; Balmat's

intention; aid from the Royal Society; Difficulties at

Chamouni in 1858; the Intendant memorialised; his response;

the Seracs revisited; Crevasses and Crumples; bad weather;

thermometers placed at the Jardin; Avalanches of the

Talefre; wondrous sky

25.--Second Ascent of Mont Blanc (1858). 177

Shadows of the Aiguilles; Silver Trees at sunrise; M.

Necker's letter; Birds as Sparks and Stars against the sky;

crevasse bridged; ladder rejected; a hunt for a _pont_;

crevasses crossed; Magnificent Sunset; illuminated clouds;

Storm on the Grands Mulets; a Comet discovered; start by

starlight; the Petit Plateau a reservoir for avalanches;

Balmat's warning; the Grand Plateau at dawn; blue of the

ice; Balmat in danger; Clouds upon the Calotte; the Summit;

wind and snow-dust; Balmat frostbitten; halt on the Calotte;

descent to Chamouni; good conduct of porters

26. 192

Hostility of Chief Guide; Proces Verbal; the British

Association; application to the Sardinian authorities;

President's Letter; Royal Society; Testimonial to Balmat

27.--Winter Expedition to the Mer de Glace, 1859. 195

First defeat and fresh attempt; Geneva to Chamouni; deep

snow; Desolation; slow progress; a horse in the snow; a

struggle; Chamouni on Christmas night; mountains hidden;

Climb to the Montanvert; Snow on the Pines; debris of

avalanches; Breaking of snow; Atmospheric Changes; the

mountains concealed and revealed; colour of the snow; the

Montanvert in Winter; footprints in the snow; wonderful

frost figures; Crystal Curtain; the Mer de Glace in Winter;

the first night; "a rose of dawn;" Crimson Banners of the

Aiguilles; the stakes fixed; a Hurricane on the glacier; the

second night; Wild Snow-storm; a man in a crevasse; calm;

Magnificent Snow Crystals; Sound through the falling snow;

swift descent; Source of the Arveiron; Crystal Cave;

appearance of water; westward from the vault; Majestic

Scene; Farewell