Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/242

38 found ourselves on an open and nearly level expanse of shingle, with a few large blocks here and there. The slope was not greater than 4°. The ground we stood on looked exactly like an old shingle-beach, and all were delighted at its seemingly smooth surface; but the level plain proved to be a succession of deep hollows and long valleys, separated by ridges of shingle, which being all of the same colour produced the appearance of a uniform level surface. The labour of descending and climbing out of these hollows was very great. No direct line of march could be kept. When the slopes became great, and when stones lay on the ice these came down in masses; a constant look-out a-head had to be kept, and long rounds taken, so that at the end of the day’s work I found that we had only gained 4 miles in a direct line, measured on the plane-table. The rocks on either side of the glacier rose in sheer cliffs of 1000 ft. and upwards, and the ice was so broken up near the sides that it was difficult to get over it.

Close to our camping-spot the dry hollows, amongst which we had all day been wandering, became replaced by hollows filled with water, forming lakes of all shades of yellow and green, others as clear as crystal, through the waters of which you could see to a great depth. Other pieces of water, where the side was a cliff of ice, were covered with large floating blocks. The small waves work out lines at the water-level and undermine the ice, which every now and then breaks away, and falls with a tremendous bang into the deep waters beneath, sending high waves across the expanse of still water. Showers of earth and stones also keep slipping off the ice-slopes into the water during the hours that the surface-ice is melting; and our coolies amused themselves in helping the larger blocks over the edges. These lakes measure 500 yards or so in length by from 200 to 300 in breadth, and were to be met with for more than 2 miles along the centre of the glacier which here was very level.

The night was bitterly cold; a fresh easterly wind blew from the direction of the snowy peaks at the head of the glacier; nor could we afford much fuel, for all our wood had to be carried forward with us. Next day the ground was similar to that of the day before, up to 10, when the moraines became more defined and their ridges flatter: there was more ice, and the débris was larger and more dispersed. Streams began to appear traversing the surface, then losing themselves in cavities; and there were good straight bits of a quarter of a mile, with no need of detours. About 2 miles up from the end of the glacier the medial moraines became quite distinct from one another. Enormous blocks were to be seen on every side, some perched up on knobs of ice. Some, lately fallen, lay by the sides of their old supports. The northern side of the ice was still a confused heap of débris,