The Express.
London, England, 1855-10-04 00:00:00

ANOTHER ASCENT OF MONT BLANC.

The following is a narrative of the ascent of Mont
Blanc by Meson. Booth and Austin of Dublin :
" Chamounix, Sept. 26, 18,5.—1 sensed le Charrinunig
en the 20th Instant, with the intention of escrowing Mont
Blanc, if the advanced time of the year did oat render it
impracticable, and I woo glad to find that a mire favourable
time could not be chew), because the frost just b- ginning to
set in made the snow feet, and so diminished the danger
from the falling of avalanche'. On the 'oboe mg day we
made an ezcorsion to the Mer de Glace and the Jardin,
which was quite sufficient to test our powers of endurance
and Capability of bearing lat.gue. The Jardin is the highest
point where verdure is found in the Alpo, and toe attempt to
reach it is not without both difficulty and danger—an enema
don there requires an entire day. Our rept dition to Mont
Blanc being now determined on, we took Saturday to red,
with the exception of a abort walk to the source of the
Artie, to keep ourselves in order, and making the necessary
preparations. I enjoy, d the Sunday here very much, the
scenery end the purpose to which the (Jay is demoted har-
monising beautifully together. It was pleasing to have es
opportunity of joining in our heauilful English cornice. No
other form would have been in such perfect keeping with
both time and place. While the e)e rested on ire highest
Alpine summit it tended in no small orient to heighten the
simple grandeur of that noble hymn of St. Clio soden*,
,t Ws praise thee 0 God ; we acknowledge Thee to be tb•
Lord; all the earth doth worship thee the father everlast-
ing." The day wee one of the most heavenly that ever
eorth was blessed with, and I *shall ever e,tei no it
a privilege for which-to be thankful, elm of which I
may be justly proud, to he permitted to spend u 'list day of
the week in the enjoyment of the noblest grandeur
which one great division of our earth ei etains. All
arrangements having been very satisfactorily cont-
pitted, I set out from Chameunix for Mont Plane, ao-
eomparded by Mr. George Austin, jun , St. Audrew•street,
end Mr. James Kidd, of Albany, New York, a smart, is-
telligent lad, only 16 years of •ge, lied the youngest perdue
who ever made the ascent. We were ettendeo by twelves
guides, and thirteen Teeters carrying erovisicne, &e.,
makieg in all a nice little caravan or 28 p. re, na. We
started at 8 o'clock, and after a centinuous ci,mh through
woods, across glaciers (many of the messed in which had
to be crossed on ladders), and ete.p snow declivities, moo
' reached the Grands Mutes at 2 o'clock, by uo means so
much fatigued as I had feared. lien. there is a but erected
by the guides; sod without such a ploee in which to halt
the ascent would be nearly imersoticable. We made
ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would per-
mit, and of course carved our names in the wood
of the highest habitation in the worid, as a per-
petual memorial of our having been there. Having folly
equipped ourselves a in Mont Blanc, we started at natt-past
12 in the morning from this habitation in the clouds,
eleven thousand feet above the level of the de, on the most
critical part of our enterprise. We were tied together ia
three companies, about ten feet apart • very necessary
precaution, as we had to pass some tearful ere• sses, tenet
ourselves on snow bridges of very dcubtful strength, and
climb icy declivities as steep as the side of a sugar loaf.
From the time we lett the. Grands Mulct., cur feet stood
on nothing but snow end ice. It was a beautifully clear
moonlight night, but as we were ascendir g the side of
the mountain on which the rays of the us 0,, did not
fall, we had to proceed by letup-light, which made it
picturesque in the extreme. As we epproae.ed the Op
we encountered one of the keenest and most icy winter
blasts I ever experienced—it was fearfully withering end
cutting. At length, et half past ten o'clock, we reached
at the same time the summit of Mont Blare and of our
desires. The mountain was unclouded, and the prospect
was riasignifieeetly grand. We remained half an hour, the
extreme cold prevented our resting longer, although the Sift
was shining brilliantly. At 11 o'cloek we roam-need our
descent, and we surely came down much more s spedittorly
than we went sp. Between walking, running, leaping,
sliding, falling end tumbling into erevades, it wise highly
exhilarating, and at ten minutes past three in itxd spirits
we arrived et the Grande Mule's. Our espedifi,iii created
a great excitement in Caemonoiz, and formed the chief
topic of conversation, and our ouree was traced all through
by telescopes. Our having arrived at the Greeds Misled,
on the ascent, was announced in the town by the firing of •
cannon. As the time approached when our return was
mitigated, great interest prevailed to see the advetturere.
The visitors at the hotels, and the inhabitants of the place,
crowded to the streets. When me made cur apparent* we
were received with hearty congratulations, sad a grand
salute of forty-one guns and music. I am highly delighted
wish the expedition end its most successful termination. I
shall not conclude without recording the extreme civility of
the guides, and the anxiety they evinced to fully complete
our wishes. They spared no trouble or physical exertion to
help us through. The intelligence mid very uoliging
ratter of the Cbausounix guides contribute very much lathe
pleasure the traveller eel eriencea in visiting the .ems rs
objects of intend is its 'rJoszeir Bang.

•b' exoreoo•

TO OORRISPONDINTIL
•wartwonssie bimodal he " L Zwidekg p.m
cn:As be et the 011 es, to. soeeerMaleeeß by Tin Vilest Os the
dal Debdaikes.

NOM WATII. AT LONDON BRUM.
Tpas DAT—lllendos, Th. Ma Altonesis. Y. Va.
To.roassow—illaubsi, Ills. Illa -A/Wm% IN. U..

LONDON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4.

Wzaa the highest rank in the British Army a die-
tinction to be oonlerred, like a place in the Roman
Calendar, for good deeds done in days gone by, and

which had loci ago resolved their fitting meed of
honour and reward, the new creation of Field Mar-
shals might possibly be allowed to pass dithout much

observation. A few saints more or less make no

perceptible difference in the temperature of popular
faith ; and we might, perhaps, enlarge the circle of
our military mythology without any great hurt to its
votaries, if the canonisation of old soldiers were, like
that of veteran anchorites, deferred till they were
dead. Their claims to their new position might still,
indeed, be questioned by the curious or the sceptical;
but the busy world would give little heed to inquiries
capable of exerting so remote an influence over thole
reaming and perplexed affairs.
Unfortaoately, fighting a living enemy is not, like
praying to dead saints, an affair of the world to
come. We know, to our cost, the difference. Wei
may have been in the romantic ages the privileged
pursuit of knights and nobles, who, if their own
account is to be believed, did all that was needful for
their country's defence and renown at their own
proper coot and charges, and who claimed, in conse-
quence, the right to settle all questions of authority
and precedency amongst themselves. However this
may have been, we too well know that soldiering is
io our day a regular profession, avowedly open to
men of all conditions, and paid at the rats of many
millions a year out of the people's pockets.
Whatever, therefore, tends to the elevation of the
spirit of the army, to its contentment, or to its
estimation is envious neighbours' eyes or in our own,
is for us an indisputable and positive good ; and, of
necessity, whatever tends to dispirit and disappoint
legitimate ambition, to suggest unfavourable comps-
Aeons with other armies, or to link with ludicrous
associations the mention of the highest dignities la
the service, is too fall of mischief to escape national
reproba,ion. Nothing can be more silly or untrue
than the deprecation of censure which men sometimes
resort to oa such occasions, under some such stereo-
typed phrase as, " Well, it gratifies a good kind
of man, and does nobody else any harm." There is
not a job that ever was planned or perpetrated that has
not probably been palliated thus; and we think it rather
a bad sign of the way in which the public are likely
to think and feel on the recent Gazette announce-

meats, that we already hear the usual preparations'
making in certain quarters for what is called letting
the matter down gently.
In the French army men are raised to the rank of
Menhale when they have done some deed of valour
or executed some feat of strategy which is recognised
by all as earning fairly the distinction. But the
French do not take thirty or forty years to find out
that a man is fit to be clamed as a first-rate soldier.
For the courage or constancy he has exhibited he is
generally rewarded forthwith. Instances there have
been, ao doubt, where an interval of some duration
has from various causes been suffered to
elapse ; but DO instance can be produced
where old noblemen have been dug up out of
the snug sinecuree where they have Jain quietly for
a quarter of a century, to be mind above the heads of
the whole army and saluted with the trumpet
title of Field Marshal. Our neighbours value their
army too well to trifle with its goodhumonr by
enacting such mummeries in its very face. Military
rewards and dignities are rendered precious in their
eyes, because, however they may and must be
occasionally misplaced, they are neva wantonly
converted into toys for the gratification of
courtly or aristocratic whim. In truth, there is no
class in France whom cupidity or caprice
any government would think it worth while to
propitiate by so unseemly a sacrifioo of public
decency. Men are made Marshals of France,
not to be mocked with the phantom title
to precedency, but with the intent and in the
hope that when fit occasion shall arise they will be
sailed upon to assume that priority in command
which the title signifies. Will any one with grave
face tell us that it is with a view, in case of need, to
leading troops into the field that the epithet and
emoluments of Marshals have been bestowed on Lord
BTRAFFORD or Lord COMMULNYAIII?

Far be it from us to say one harsh or disparaging
word of either of the veterans we have named. They
both fought gallantly in their day, as did scores
of other amiable and accomplished gentlemen,
wbo, having neither family interest nor great
possessions, were not ennobled for their per-
vic..s, or made to share in all the varied
forms of recompense that a patrician soldier in this
country is pretty sure to win. Nobody seeks to pry
too curiously into all this ; and truth to say, no
plaint, however just, would have less chance of
being practically attended to than that of an out-

worn contemporary of BYNG or Corrote if he be
Still olive. Popular jubilee is bat seldom retrospec-
tive, and men the most zealous for reform in future,
turn despairingly away when called on to redress the
partialities and unfairnesses of the put. But in all
conscience and reason, we are compelled to say that
the octogenarian peers alluded to had quite enough
in the way of recompense for their services without
the baton of Field Marshal. If their services in
our grandsires' day merited the coveted distinction,
how did it happen that it was obtained by neither
while the great commander lived who better than
any other individual could appreciate their worth?
Does Lord PANMUSE profess to say that either of
them had higher claims upon the country for what
he did in India, Bpaio, or Belgium, than ANGLISYA
or HILL or LYNwocII? yet none of these was ever
dignified or decorated in such fashion while their
exploits were fresh in general recollection and while
their comrades were still living. Lord RAGLAN'.
ease was wholly different. At seranty he consented
to take the field afresh, with all its labours and
vicissitudes; and whatever hie errors may bare been, he
was his Marshal's staff by victories, whose fame will
last as long as those of MARLBOROUGH or WELLING-
TON. It was in camp, surrounded by his staff, and
mid the perils of the unfinished siege, that he re-
ceived the rare distinction; nor should it be forgotten
that he remained for months of trial at his post after
be had received it. Lord HANDINGE'II case, although
ilia dear, is still, we freely own, distinguish-
able from the other two, to which we have above
referred.

The Lord Mayor Elect to 'voluted the Rey.
Dv. Xesiimer, D.D., Corp' la to lie Lori 111,yor daring
myeralq.

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