The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-03 00:00:00

THE ASCENT OF MONT BLANC.

The following letter is from a native of Dublin :
"Hotel de ITnion, Chamonix,
Ifith August, MM.
My hand shakes an much that I do not know if I should
be able to let you know the reason. It is that I returnel
hero yesterday evening from making the ascent of Mort
Blanc. I have had a long sleep last night, and am not the
worse for it to-day, except that my eyes are rather Fore
front the glare of the snow, and my hand not so steady as

usual.
" I arrived here on Saturday evening, having walked
from Martigny by the pass of the Tttc Noire, and on Mon-
day I walked up to the Mer de Glace and the Jardin, which
is a little spot of green in the midst of the snows, and the
highest verdure in the Alps. The viewil from it and in
ascending were very fine. On returning in the evening I
heard that Mr. Albert Smith and three Oxford students in-
tended ascending Mont Blanc un 'Tuesday, taking with
them twenty guides; and my guide consented to accompany
me alone in their traces.
"At 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning my guide had pro.
Tided the necessary clothing, and brought another guide
with him—a volunteer, in case I should need assistance, and
I started, arrayed in strong trowsers and prepared shoes,
with green spectacles and a wide cap and green veil. I was
an hour and a half after the large party, and met them at
the Grands Mulcts at 7 o'clock. This place is just half-way
up the mountain, ten leagues ; acid having had refreshment
and cleared away some snow, we lay down, but not to sleep IL
—it was too cold and too hard.
"At 11.30 the same night we started again with lanterns 10
and ropes and ladders. The moon was full, and the view at I°
sunrise superb. At 6 o'clock we reached the edge of the in
great plain on the top. From below the mountain looks al
like a large dome flattened on the top, but when you reach
the summit it is an enormous plain of snow, elevated at the fib
upper end. I went no further than this, being seized with T.
vomiting and pains in my chest. Some of the party 30
however, went on about an hour's walk to the top is
of this mast elevated part ; but as my gable would not allow
me to go any higher, I was obliged to descend. I never saw 14
anything equal to the view from here. You are
so much above all the Alps that you only see their summits,
and they look like little children beneath you. Just at our is
fnct was Chamonix, and beyond the Lake of Geneva ; and 33
on the other side all Piedmont, Italy. and the Mc.literra-
nean. I need not say the fatigue is tremendous, and tho SO I
danger is not, as I thought, overrated ; but the splendour I
of the scenes you meet with in ascending, and the views lk
from the mountain after sunrise amply repay you. But 33 I
there was something very horrible, too, in the appearance 125,
of all our faces in the upper part of the ascent ; even the 14
guides were eerfectly black in the face, and pinched and 10
beat us to keep us awake. It is almost impossible to resist IT
the feeling of drowsiness that comes over one, but the 50
guides never allow a moment's stop to rest, lest we should be is!
overcome by it, which is certain death ; besides, even in St.
standing still far more than a few seconds thare is danger IS
of the feet being frozen. The only thing I think ex- 30
aggcrated is the difficulty of breathing, at least I did not C
suffer from it, though some of the party coiuplain,l of lie
it. The rarity of the air, however, produced s;ekness at
and vomiting with me, iustead, I suppose, of difficulty at.
of breathing. The second and third fingers of my IS
right hand were frozen just before sunrise, which ro
was the coldest part of the ascent, but my guide rubbed
them well with snow, and I recovered the use of them. I 60
wore very large worsted glares over my own, and should 10
nut have suilared in that way but that I carried my leap- 11
ing pole for too tom: a time iu the same hand.
An awant of Mont Blanc is of course the great event of 011.
the year here, though some years there have been as many 50
as three ascents. Beth days we could perceive the hills on An
the opposite side of the valley crowded with people watching MI
every movement. They had telescopes, and must have seen U
us very well, for they have described accurately my cross- it
ing some of the difficult crevasses in the glacier on the first gm.
day. The second day (yesterday) every one was up at sun- so
rise watching, and they tell me the wonder is where all the 30
telescopes came from. at.
."flic four gentlemen who went first were from the 20
Hotel de Loaders, and 1 am at the Hotel de l'Cuion ; and
I should mention that another gentleman, a sixth, on yo
hearing that I had really started, engaged four guides, at,
and came up to the Grands Mulcts atter me about au ta
hour. Ile did not wait to breakfast before starting, so 14

that we were about thirty in all, and three distinct par-
ties, the greatest number, I believe, that ever ascended
in one clay. This latter gentleman stops at my hotel,
and as each party reaches the ()rands Mulcts there is a
round of three cannon tired by tho master of his hotel from
cannon kept fur the purpose. We all heard each round
distinctly as we reached the top of the glacier. Tho most
dangerous part of the retire ascent is then accomplished,
though not nearly the most fatiguing. They also tired us
we were seen in long tile climbing up the face of the highest
dome, but we could nut hear it. On descending, however,
we were all surprised to find a mule fur each of us, sent by
the masters of our respective hotels ns far as the highest
chalet in the route, about two leagues up, and two bands of
music, and such a crowd of peasants! We soon found that
we were in fur a triumphal march into the village, which
we wisLed to decline, but we were told that it was the cus-
tom, and that a refusal would he considered as an insult to
the master of our hotel ; and being not loth to ride tho rest
of the way we mounted, awl our guides formed in proces-
sion two and two after ur, carrying our long leaping poles
and their own hatchets, ropes, ladders, die. The bands
played after us, and as the head of the procession
reached the village the rival cannon of both hotels made
such a thunder, with the shouts of the guides and people
who came out to see us, roaring %lee l'aseension,' and
\Twist Ids messieurs, qui out fait l'aseension de Mont
Blanc!' that I believe we were all pretty well confused.
ss We arrived hereabout seven o'clock yestenlay evening,
stopping an hour at the (hands Mulcts for rest and refresh-
meat. The descent, though rather more dangerous, is not
so fatiguing as the ascent, as the guides slide down the
slopes of snow at a tremendous rate, carrying us on their
backs, and guiding themselves past the crevasses by means
of their long poles. They say that our appearance in
coming down in this way was very strange and rather start-
ling from below. The guns were fired all the evening, to
the great annoyance, I dart say, of some of the old ladies,
and nothing else is talked about. The curiosity, however,
of the visitors, is rather annoying, especially at the
late table d'/tote last night, at which we were both
obliged to dine at eight o'clock, though pretty well done
up. I took a warm bath immediately on arriving, and was
much refreshed, and much more by a good sleep until 11
o'clock this morning.
n I do not feel fatigued this morning, nor stiff,but am quite
abraded by descending, though I had a secant pair of
trowsers over my own. My fact is also sore and peeled,
and my eyes are weak, but I still wear my spectacles and
veil, and they say I will be well to-morrow. I am glad to
have made the ascent, but nothing would induce me to
make it again, at least not without many guides. lam the
first Irishman, they say, who has been up, and the only
person who attempted to ascend with two guides, seven
being the usual number; but I had the advantage of tho
traces of the first party, and also their ladders, which were
left for us. I had to carry my wen sac as far as the (]rands
Mulcts, containing part of our provisions for two days; my
guides carried the rest and the clothing, and some firing. I
do not yet know what the entire clines° will he, but I
suppose not above 200 francs. The four first gentlemen pay
120/., or 301. each and the expense fur a single person about
1001., so that it I have done it for about 71., I shall have
managed pretty well.

FATAL ACCIDENT FROM A GIN.—An inquest was
held at Sheering on Saturday last, before C. C. Lewis,
Esq., coroner, on the body of Thomas Stallibrass, 16 years
of age, who met his death under the fallowing melan-
choly circumstances, detailed in evidence :—Abraham Saps-
ford, labourer, proved that on the 22nd ult., about one
o'clock, he found deceased in one of his master's fields lying
flat on his back ; one hand was on each side of him, and his
knees were drawn up. Witness raised him, and then saw
that his head was much shattered ; a single barrelled gun
lay close to him ; he seemed sensible and spoke twice, but
gave nu account as to how he became so injured; about an
hour previously witness heard a report of a gun, and about
a quarter of an-hour before that, deceased, who had a gun
with him at the time, was with witness and the other
men laughing and talking in his usual spirits. Charles
Turtle corroborated this statement, and added, the
muzzle of the gun was on the ground, and the butt end in the
boughs by the side of the river, about two feet from where
deceased lay. Mr. John Mimed, of Harlow, surgeon, stated
that on being called to deceased he found his lace covered
with blood and a large wound in the forehead, the brain
protruding ; he was removed home, where witnesS continued
to attend him until his death, which took place on the 25th
ult. Deceased was insensible the greater portion of the
time, and when sensible seemed to be unaware of the injury
he had sustained. The cause of death was extensive injury
to the brain, which was considerably lacerated ; this might
have resulted from a gun-shot wound. The general opinion
was that deceased was incautiously beating the bushes by
the aide of the river with the butt end of his gun when the
contents exploded, and the jury returned a verdict of "Ac-
cidental death."—lptwicA Express.
AMERICAN EMIGRATION.—We understand that
Mr. Murdoch, the Chief Commissioner of Emigration, and
Mr. Stephen Walcott, secretary to the board, are abouti to
proceed on an official tour, in the course of which they will
visit the several outports, with a view of ascertaining how
far it may be practicable to carry out the recommendations
of Mr. Sidney Herbert's committee, and remedy prevailing
rouses in the American emigration trade. For this p
their attention will be specially directed to Liverpool=
it is expected regulations of a salutary character will be
established, with a view to the protection of the emigrants
from fraud before embarkation, and their domestic cont-
fort in "homes," or model lialging-houses. Liverpool
Albion.

RUMAT LOANS AND TEE STAMP LAWIL—The
recent alterations in the stamp laws now enable railway
companies to receive loans u low u 100 L, at which rata
many are now taking them. Formerly they could not do
in sums of less than 4001. or 6001.