Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-05-12
JOURNAI or sCtFNCv


hcatiou oi The AmericaH Journal of Science
ana ArtS Il resumed, and that the first num-
her OF the volume has made lis appearance.
This work rs under the duection OF professor
Sdhmua OF Yale College, Connecticut Sud
WAITS nothing int sufficient puLic patronage TO
ienuti II highly uSti,l as well sS respectable.
The present number, wP have no doubt. viii
be iounu au amusing and Interesting uhe 10
common readers, aa well as 10 n,tn OF science
and Literature. The first Article coulains an
account OF journey IN the summit OF Mont
Blanc the highest peak OF the Alps BIZ one Ui
ou' couniIyme Dr. jeremiah Van Rensselaer,
ui inns state IN the year 1919. DIR. Van RenSse-
aer was accompanied il his excursi~u hy "a
Mr.. howard, oi Baltimore, and they were
the hrs, Americans who ever scaled tie teTrr-
b!e summit at tins LOFTY mountain. Tie iai-
lowing passage will serve To shew the difiirul
mes and dangers encountered in tins Romantic
expedition.
We encountered many crevices some of
which were dIsiiu CilN seen others more than
half hId by the snow. Occasionally masses Of
zee had Sunk, amt lett the remaining wall Iis-
ia. 40 OF 90 feet above MS: and IN such cases
II was necessary tOAeaICh the lowest end OF
the wall, and ascend 10y the ladder, or bS cut
ting stepping !.oies it, the side. This. howev.
eT, could be attempted only wheieihc wall
Was more 'GRn 20 IL ct high, as orr ia,lacr was
only Ut thai length. Wbete, besides the wall
there was II rre.ice at the bOItUur the ascent
was indeed drcad'ul-ior while O. ossins Il gulf
that yawned 1870 or 200 feet heBVail MS W..
were climbing tie ladder placed against the
side Of tee, where the least slip must have pre-
iiIiated nS TO imme diate death. VIII re the
sides OF The creVict were of equal hclght. the
ladder was laid down, aud we then crawIsd
over on all tOurs. In a few cases IL occurred
that an aIChed bridge OF snow connected the
sides, and here II beloved us 10 tread lightly
and Win caution, lest hTeakm. ihIo we should
have SINK into Il pit from lIich il would have
been impossible To return"
The prospect frcm the summit was fCourse
extensive aud sublime. Alter remaining, there
a short lime, the gentle man beean their de-
scent, which was al least as fdtiguIng and haZ.
aidons as the ascent had been. aud mncil more
alarming, for they could plainly see tie DAN
gers that surf OuHded lhtIu
Then We Saw the CteviCes that Vavped
beneath ns-and The ietie ction of bIis hi sun
from the gliSte ming snow almost prevented n.
from seeing our path, the least deviation from
which would have been inevitable death
Pant ofOne of The aNaidHches that threatened
us III onr ascent, had already fallen aud Law
scattered over oar nath aud ibe ~ thai wei
low rs fallen halt. Dreadful indeed was ths
Nence in which, with hurried stem we hastpn~
Ell down the side hill. Fearing TO raise A Iook
from the pathway, and scarcely dari 9 Ia
breathe, we arrived AT the bottom"
he foregoing article H. immediately follow
ed by an AccOGnt If The hGGfSdiH Mountains &"
IA ihis state, by Dir. Henry T.. Dwight, which
Is wen drawn up, and will be fond both or.
teriaEinS aud interesting-but we have no,
room al preseR for any extracts
We cordially aud earnestly recommend this
Work 10 tke public couutenance and snpuott
III rs handsomely printed, contains nuc vain
able Information, will enhance our natiouaI
Character, and we hope at least ia indemnify
The lab0ur and expenses OF liz learned and
respectable editor. Duly AdUertiser