THE ULUTÖR GLACIERS. 51
The snout of the glacier is very broad and blunt, even broader than the rest of the tongue in its lower part. This curious form is due to the fact that the snout reaches the very foot of the hills at the opposite side of the valley, and, therefore, even is forced to run uphill for a short distance. On account of the constant pressure of the ice from behind the snout is much broken up, forming heaps of ice blocks. The right part of the snout, which is directed downwards to the valley, is cupola-shaped and has a rudimentary moraine on its top.
We continued westwards along the snout, wandering on the slope of the hill at the northern side of the valley. It consists of nothing but blocks of all sizes, and falls 3 3° towards the snout. Here we find that the snout has also a blunt apophysis to the west, formed by the obstruction created by the northern hill base. The glacier is seen coming directly from the south, where its »Firnmulde» and the extensive troughs of its névés are surrounded by gigantic snow ranges and peaks. From a high observation point on the slope we see the dark middle moraine of the glacier, which partly touches the moraine of the left side. The moraines consist of gravel, the blocks being rare. A short distance above the snout, transverse and longitudinal crevasses are well developed, but lower down they are pressed together. Some of the crevasses are of enormous size. Nearly the whole surface of the glacier is dirty.
The western glacier comes from its own »Firnmulde» to the S. W. and forms an »S», the end of which is directed towards the snout of the middle glacier, though it does not quite touch it. The ice masses of the middle glacier rise considerably above those of its western neighbour. The latter has a considerable left moraine on its top consisting of finer material ; of granite, crystalline schist, and porphyry in many varieties. Living rock is difficult to reach, cropping out from the gravel higher up. The surface of the S. W. glacier is more level, and it describes a fine double curve in its rocky passage. From the N. W. a small glacier approaches it without joining it.
Between the snouts of the two glaciers and the slope of the northern hills, a little lake, hardly frozen, has been formed. The brooks from the melting ice of the two glaciers make their appearance at the eastern corner of the middle glacier. The water from the western glacier has, therefore, to flow under the snout of the middle glacier. The joined brook comes out of the latter as from a grotto some five meters high. As the day was cloudy there was not much water, perhaps 5 or 6 cub. m. per second.
The third or eastern glacier is more even and falls regularly to the valley.
Its surface was covered with long dark belts of fine material hardly to be regarded as moraines; its front moraine was very insignificant, but its »Firnmulde» and névés considerable. Beyond the rocks and crests between which these glaciers come down, one sees in the distance gigantic peaks and snowfields. The three glaciers seemed to be smaller than the largest of the Mus-iab h-ata, Yam-bulak-baslai, Tergen-bulak, Kamjer-kislilak and others, all of which have so large and well developed moraines.
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