The Wilmingtonian., 1824-03-11

,iers, and coveted with trees Of seve-
al centuries growth, can leave mol
loubt OF their having, at varions times
advanced and receded much beyond their
present limits althogh their progress has
been very mischievous of late. With
slow but irresistible power, the ice pushes
forward vast heaps Of stones. bends down
large trees to the earth, and gradually pass
es over them. 1t does not form field OF
ice by any means, and scarcely presents
an inch of even surface: the whole bristl-
ing over with sharp ridges, and points bent
forwards like the pixies of embattled sol.
diers. At the edge of the glaciers, those
irregular masses of ice, followed and un-
herm;ned by heat assume various fantastic
cavern, the wreck of a
ship, the devouring jaws of nameless mon
sters, wide open, and dripping blood; fer
ruginous earth often adhering to the ice. is
" ashed down into red streaks. Although
1.-THE fragments are often SO dirty as to be
scarcely distingushable from the mud and
stones among which they have tumbled ;
yet, when broken, their fracture presents
beautiful chrystalzntions of extreme hard
lice, perfectly transparent, and not porous
as l expected, although divided by nu-
merous interstices like those of coral.
Streams of water of milky appearance,
continual, issuing from under the glacier,
had formed new channels through the ada
cent meadows, cut into ravines and ex-
tending the destruction far beyond what
the ice covered. The miserable inhabitants
collected into melancholy groups, looked
on deiectedly but some of than. turning
their misfortune to good account, told
their sad story and begged, with certiti-
cate of the magistrate in their hand. Sew
cral dwellings are actually under the gIa-
Ziers, and others await the same destruc.
ton. These accidental encroachments Of
the GLACIERS, after all, rarely extend to one
hundred feet in season, and more COM
monty not one.fourth of that.
At nearly three thousand feet above
Chamouni there is a chalet on the Breven,
where travellers may procure milk, and
get some sort of shelter under the misera-
bic roof; for the chalets of Savoy are vast
" inferior to those of Switzerland. The
view of Mont Blanc is here nearly as good
as from the top of the Breven; and as all
the difficulty of the ascent is to come,
there is really no reason to 90 further.
All of our party who were game. or at
east had some little reputation that way
to support, set off from the chalet with
two of the guides. There was no Difficult
|ty till we came to the first field of snow,
which was very steep and very slippery
hac ,,frht haxr han nm
account of the difficulty of stopping. By
striking in the end Of your foot at every
step you take, you get secure footing,
and may anchor yourself, with your hands
lin the snow, when the declivity is very
great, without stick. nearly as we'll as
with it. At the chimney. a difficult PAS
sage at all times, the guides had consul
tation, as it had not been tried vet this
season. We might have turned it by ano
lther field of snow, but it was more preci
pitous than the first; therefore it was de
termined to make for the chimney-frs
climbing steep rock with very little dit
ficulty and no danger, provided you d.
not look behind. Above this is the chin
ney, a chasm or recess full of ice, which
melting first where it touches the rock
had left space of about two feet. Wit
your back against the smooth ice, and ply
ting diligently with your feet, knees am
[ hands against the rock in the manne
,Ichmney sweepers do, you may work your
self up with tolerable ease and comfort, t
. the top, some twenty or thirty feet in
very few minutes. There you find ant
I thsr field of snow ice, not at all steep; the
/, IA very steep ascent and the last, who'll
> composed of broken schIst, which bring
: you to the signals, two rude construction
Hike al;ars, on the top of the Breven.
j.. The prospect of Mont Blanc was her
,Ivery little different from what we ha
! found it at the chalet, yet from the SUNNI
= lof Mont Blanc the bose du dromedair'
liappeared now less foreshortened, and tt
/. lwhrwinds of snow-dust upon it, wei
4 clearly distinguished athwart the dar
e blue Of the sky, moving round with gre'
5. violence on particular spots. The vie
o here was undoubtedly most extraord
/. nary one, placed full in front. and abo
i. .Imid-heisht Of Mont Blanc, and thereto
at equal distance between the SUNNI
q and the base, sufficiently far to embra'
" the whole at one glance and sufficient
i; near to distinguish every detail I; we sa
r. this stupendous object like full leng
,e picture hung up there for our pleasure al
frucfiop