There remained one glaciere on M. Thury's list, which I had so far not
thought of visiting. It was described as lying three leagues to the
north of Die in Dauphine, department of the Drome, at an altitude of
more than 5,000 feet above the sea. M. Hericart de Thury discovered
this cavern in 1805, and published an account of it in the _Annales
des Mines_[82] to which M. Thury's list gave a reference. I have since
found that this account has been translated into various scientific
periodicals, among others the Philosophical Journal of Edinburgh.[83]
It occurred to me that, by leaving Les Plans a few days earlier than I
had intended, I could take advantage of the new line connecting
Chambery and Grenoble and Valence, and so visit this glaciere without
making the journey too long; and accordingly I bade farewell to Madame
Cherix's comfortable room, leaving my sisters in their quarters in a
neighbouring chalet, and started for Geneva.
The line was advertised to open on the 15th of August; but on the 16th
the officials declared that it was not within a month and a half of
completion, so that I was compelled to go round by Lyons.
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