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230 THROUGH NORWAY WITII A KNAPSACK.
these basins, and connect them, as a great snow
tableland out of which the rock peaks would arise. Such is
Mont Blanc. It appears like a rounded camel-back
mountain; but I have no doubt that its actual structure
is a bunch of ragged granite peaks, like the "Aiguilles"
near to it: and the spaces between these acute pyramids,
from their bases up to the verge of their summits, and
even above the summits of some of the less elevated,
are filled with consolidated snow, reaching in some
parts to thousands of feet in depth. The summit, the
Mont Blanc de Tacul, the Rocliers Rouge, the Grands
and Petits Mulets, &c., which stand like rocky islands
amidst the vast plains and slopes of snow, are but the
summits of these tall, acute pyramids, thus buried
neck deep. The " snee fonds " of Norway, such as the
Fondalen, the Folgefond, Justedal, &c., differ from
this only in being great table-lands, or rolling fjelds,
edged with peaks.
Whether there be such a table-land or an
entanglement of rock basins and troughs above the snow-line, it
is evident that this growing accumulation of snow will
ultimately overtop the barriers, and must by some
means overflow. But how will this overflow be effected?
Will it all slide down as avalanches, or may not the
barriers formed by the rising peaks above and below the
snow-line interfere with this simple mode of outlet ?
The Norwegian table-land of snow, or " sneefond,"
notched at its edge with rising peaks of rock, presents the
simplest form, and the phenomena there presented may
be the most easily understood. It must be remembered
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