rock at a terrific depth below. In crossing this slope the new-fallen snow stood us in good stead. It was exactly of the proper consistency for walking upon safely and easily nevertheless, it appeared to me to be a place where, in some states of the weather, an avalanche might easily be detached, carrying all before it, and with it, over the precipice. : Devouassoud told me that on one occasion, on passing this spot, he found it an entire sheet of ice, so that he was obliged to cut steps with his axe right across its whole length in order to reach the rocks. These, however, we now attained without difficulty; and, on arriving, we congratulated one another on the success that had hitherto attended our expedition, and commenced forthwith an attack on our remaining provisions. From this point the view to the north is quite shut out: but on turning to the south, on the right is the summit of Mont Blanc, with its dependant glaciers, and precipitous buttresses and outworks; in truth, a sublime and wonderful sight. Below, lies the Allée Blanche; further, amidst a wilderness of Alps, not fewer than five enormous peaks of mountains apparently little lower than Mont Blanc, and of outlines quite as grand; nearer, rose the Cramont, and the Pain de Sucre; hard by which was the little town of Cour mayeur, and the adjacent valleys; and thus (not to catalogue the remaining mountains) the eye passed eastwards towards Mount Rosa, and the glorious Cervin. Most fortunately there was no haze or vapour to intercept the wonders of the view; there were only a few white clouds here and there, rather setting off, than marring, the proportions and magnitudes of the mountains before us, infinite in number and majesty. No description can convey an adequate idea of this side of Mont Blanc, and of the appearance of the descent from the summit of the Col du Géant towards Courmayeur. Whilst we were gazing at the view, our attention was arrested by a hissing noise, which we found to proceed from the snow on a very long and precipitous slope to our right, the surface of which, under the influence of the noon-day sun, began to slide in gentle avalanches down towards the rocks beneath. We immediately, merely for the sake of amusement, commenced hurling stones, as large as we could lift, down the slope, in hopes of augmenting the avalanches, but it was wholly without effect. The velocity, however, which these stones acquired before they reached the bottom of the slope, and the force with which they dashed against the rocks below, bursting asunder in clouds of dust, was a striking sight. Two of my guides succeeded in detaching a very large mass, which rolled down with tremendous violence; but it had no more effect on the snow than the smaller ones. Some of the boards of Saussure's cabin, alluded to above, still remain on this spot. Here it was that in his devotedness to science that distinguished philosopher passed seventeen days and nights. The debris of rock here contain a vast quantity of crystals; and here we found a portion of the broken stem of a thermometer. We also saw several butterflies whilst we remained on the summit. We had, earlier in the day, seen several dead and dying insects on the surface of the snow, and one or two dead half-fledged birds. snow. We remained on the summit of the Col until a quarter before one, and then commenced the descent towards Courmayeur. Our way lay down a long precipice of loose rocks and stones, fortunately free from This descent, together with a glissade of snow much lower down, and after that, a steep descent of rude mountain pasture, occupied us, without intermission, until past three o'clock; when we made another halt, at the tail of a snow slope, from under which there issued a delicious stream of ice-cold water. Here we finished our wine, and congratulated each other sincerely on the success of our expedition; for now all difficulties were past; and I will not deny having looked up at the frowning battlements of ice on which we had been so lately standing, with the most exhilarating sensations. During the descent, I was much struck with the towering magnificence of the distant Mont Velan, which I had seen in great beauty, when on an excursion to the Great St. Bernard, a fortnight before. The beauty of the scenery below, about Courmayeur, as seen during the descent, exceeds any thing which the vale of Chamonix affords. Other steep pastures, fir woods, and a succession of green sloping meadows, led us finally down into the vale of Courmayeur at a quarter past five. Here, just as we had reached the bottom, although I felt in no respect unpleasantly fatigued, I was attacked by a giddiness so sudden and violent, that I fell against a young ash tree, and thence headlong down a soft grassy bank. My guides, in alarm, ran to my assistance, and in less than a minute I was perfectly restored; nor was I in the least hurt by the fall. This kind of attack I never before experienced. I have no doubt of its having been occasioned by changing the air of the glacier, and of the Col, for that of the valley, which we all found very hot and close. I continued my walk with great caution for a little way, apprehensive lest the seizure should return: but finding that on crossing a narrow wooden bridge over a foaming torrent, I could stand and look at the troubled waters without inconvenience, I dismissed the subject from my mind, convinced that the indisposition was merely transient. And so it proved. We at length reached Courmayeur at six o'clock, having been on foot for fifteen hours and three quarters. In the evening I experienced a very slight bleeding at the nose. I slept well that night, and the next morning felt little or no remains of fatigue. There is no part of the passage of the Col du Géant, from Chamonix to Courmayeur, that is extraordinarily fatiguing; though the glacier is sure to be in a state more or less dangerous, and the summit of the Col towards Courmayeur may be in a very dangerous state indeed. The excitement is unceasing, and the attention perpetually occupied. I have really been very fortunate in my mountain excursions; and have been well rewarded for paying a little patient attention to the turns of the weather, which is in a very unsettled state. We had scarcely arrived at Courmayeur, when dark clouds began to gather round the summit of Mont Blanc, and soon after, over the Col du Géant; and at dusk it came on to rain heavily, with thunder and lightning. I had no fellow-traveller with me on this occasion; |