The Glacier de Bois has quite a different character from that of Boisson ; and though it does not rise into such sin gular and varied shapes, yet its vast extent and its remark able situation, and perhaps the difficulty of reaching it, render it a still more interesting object to the traveller. In order to examine this glacier, we left Chamouni about half past one o'clock upon mules ; and after ascending a steep and rugged declivity, through a wood of firs, we reached, in 52 minutes, that part of the ascent where it was necessary to exchange our mules for long poles point ed with iron. The footpath crosses a deep ravine cut out by an avalanche ; and at the end of other 43 minutes, we obtained a splendid view of the Aveyron, rushing out with great fury from below its icy covering, and throwing itself over a lofty precipice. At the end of two hours from our setting out, we reached the summit of Montanvert, which is 5724 feet above the level of the sea, and 2568 above that of the valley.
After resting half an hour in the temple erected for the accommodation of travellers, by M. Felix Despo•tes, the French resident at Geneva, we descended the hill till we reached the Mer de Glace. At first sight, this immense field of ice, about six miles long and one and a half wide, has the same appearance as if a tumultuous and highly agi • tated sea had been suddenly frozen ; but upon examining it more narrowly, we found it intersected with numerous chasms and ravines, some of which are 100 feet deep. On the sides of these crevices the ice is most perfect, and has a fine blue colour ; while on the surface, which is granular and porous, the congelation appears to have been less com plete. By the assistance of our long poles we entered up on the Mer de Glace, and from our recollection of Saus sures's description of the hazards which attend such a jour ney, we were not a little surprised at the apparent absence of all danger. The assistance of the guide was sometimes necessary to cross the yawning chasms ; but in other re spects we experienced no difficulty. We passed a huge block of granite about 24 feet high, resting on the ice, and in the act of gradually descending to the valley ; and we were now considerably advanced upon the glacier. Hither to we had attended only to the objects below our feet, and were quite unaware of the magnificent situation in which we were placed. The whole of this frozen sea is surround ed with bare and lofty mountains. On the north-east, the red aiguille of Dreux rises like a huge obelisk to the height of 3832 feet above Montanvert, occasionally displaying its strongly illuminated summit from among masses of clouds that rolled about its base. On the south-west ap
peared the black peak of Charmoz ; and on the south-east, where the glacier divides itself into two branches, called the Glacier of Lechaud, and the Glacier of Tacul, we discover the aiguilles of Lechaud, and the Great and Little Jorasse, the lofty peaks of the Giant and of Tacul. The black de solation which presented itself on every side ; the dreary and unbroken silence which reigned around, and the subli mity and novelty with which every object was marked, gave to the present scene a peculiarly impressive character, of which it is impassible to form the least conception. The sound of the waters rushing below, at the depth of 80 or 100 feet, which is the general height of the glacier, and the crashing noise of large stones loosened by the melting of the ice and tumbling into the chasms, begin to remind the traveller that his situation is not without danger. A simi lar but louder noise arises during winter flout the forma tion of the chasms, which sometimes shakes the whole mass with a noise like thunder, and which is the general harbin ger of a change of weather. In many places there is some thing like a vertical stratification in the icy masses, stretch ing in the direction of the valley, and the surface of the ice has an appearance as if intersected by veins. Towards the edge of the Mer de Glace, the ice is covered with pounded granite, and huge masses of this rock mark the boundary between the glacier and the mountain. In those places where the ice is covered with sand, it appears com pletely black, like the darkest cairngorms, while in other places the perfect ice is green. Upon breaking this ap parently black ice, however, we found it quite transparent, and remarkably pure and hard.
We now descended Montanvert by another road, in or der to see the extremity of the glacier, where it delivers the waters of the Aveyron. The whole of the glacier is supported on a granite base, which terminates towards the plain in a lofty precipice. The Aveyron formerly issued from below the glacier, through a frozen vault, where the rock had very little height ; but it now discharges itself at a much higher point, producing a waterfall of great height and impetuosity. Sometimes it issues with dreadful force, and then abates, and over those parts of the rock where no water flows, huge masses of ice are constantly preci pitating themselves, with a noise like that of the loudest artillery.