The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-06-07

...n,,aneo.s desire 4, .lcep o,egeahe Us, ant'
frequently we were obliged to sit down on ne
..,w, .,ni beg of the guides few minutes re-
pose. Oar thirst also became very annoNihE'
IND with difficulty could we utter two Or tt'fce
4Crl,s without mosteDing our thfoats Win sio~,
,og we had now no more chance OF hndiaS %a'Gi
III the refreshing pools and bright streams Wilt. mt
ind given us so much pleasure during our ""'A
lmstertay.
wing now reached a very highly rarehca a.l'
l,iration became troublesome and difllc0lt' 50
that at every fifteen or eighteen PAGES We "ere
obliged to halt, and turn ourselves foui'a ""
,hat pont from whence the light winds ca'ac' III
order 10 breathe more freely but as soon as w
halted to breathe, sleep attacked Us On se ~
or hand SO that we had, during the Mhoie y .'i.s
day. variety Of enemies, coatsha!i,S eae' - =.
his own way to prevent our ARRIVAL ~ 'ic s"l"'s
of the mountain,
NV indefatgablc friend, Ilr Clark, was coh-
sanity in advance and it was necessary to sum
mon all my force and all my courage to Keep ncaf
him often found myself following, khe@
not how had now acquired so mechanical !
mode Of walking, and putting my leBs lh'o ~,
footsteps Of the leading nen--the snow Deli's' =
this time nearly up to or knees-~that peoa'hs
almost insensble Of fatigue. From nine oeloeS
to ten we were employed in ascending "s'l =
termed ssIes Montccs," wall OF snow, before
arriving at SIC petit plateau" iltvln8 "eto'ii'
plished this with considerable dlitculsy' ~
trayersed lie petit Plateau, and arrived ~ the
foot OF a second and much sleeper ascent, M..eh
conducts 10 the Grand Plateau. sleep, bath
inr sun on our head cold feet, 9 shofthca' q
breath. and 1ausea, which | still felt IN lte-s
degree rendered this ascent the most fauGGNhS
lAad ever hitherto attempted Enleayorn@, as
ssn, to give you simple ANA true account OF
our proceedings, it is not sslFy to eau ~ .!t
language of exaggeration When therefore
tell you that this ascent was pretty steep, you
NAV easily conceive it was SO, from the simple
circumstance, that frequently, IN accomplishing
the task, was obliged TO hold BY the les q
the guide before me, to assist me II climbing
through the SHOWS ami that leg was perhaps al
the moment even with the top OF NY heal.---
The guide could not bend himself sufficiently y e
give me his hand but by sticking his p2ie iirai.
II in the snow, he held fast BY that, until could
bring myselfto the spot where he stool N'n AZ
irving at the summit of this difficult ascent, VS.
all with one accord, spread the TWO or ,alee
kaapsacls which we had brought. and sat down
on them to cat on breakfast. 1t Was now eleven
o'clock, and we hal hoped 20 have been thia
hour much nearer the top Of Mont Blahe' 6'li
the fresh fallen SHOWS had very much lmpedet'
our progress, and even the hardy guides began
10 complain somewhat Of fatigue. We now look
ed back at the small plain which We had Just
crossed, and | was told its breadth was about hall
league. The Grand Plateau was TO p our
next undertaking, which, however, isa League
aud a half across, almost quite level, entte!Y
surrounded by lofty mountains, covered with
eternal SHOWS, its surface good deal interrupted
by large blocks Office, and the ruins Of ayala
.hes, Which continually fall on it from the mac
ressible heights around. 1t is scarcely possible
10 call to your mind any figure winch would give
Just idea Of the appearance Of the Grand ria
team and its enyirons, unless We're 70 say ~
sembed what the inside Of a white wa5h-hand ba
Gin might appear to an t. We had entirely l9s
cur appetite, and even the guides did NOT ca
like tile hardy race o. TIC Alps, We drank SOM
wine with snow, ate snls!l part OF iowl, and re
manned TO rest in this place half an hour, with {
very hope and expectation OF being on the sum
init in three or four hours.
| asked Coutet, who was my guide and coun
seilor, if might lie down and sleep on the sno'
for a few minutes he gave his consent rlttl rt
luctantly, but spreading my srcat-coat, and glN
ing me his knapsack for pillow, fell back, an
immediately i'll profound sleep. In tc
minuteshe awoke me, or might have slept Il
ever.
.In traversing these slagnated oceans, vcr
large blocks Of granite OF many tons weight nt
be seen riding ON the surface Of the icu. fhes
blocks have afforded the means Of asctrtanmg
fact Gimp portance The experiment | ain abot
10 relate to you made last year by some
the guides Of Chaumoni II the Mll de Glacc'- :
Two poles Were erected one each side Of I'll
glacier, out Of reach Of its movement and :
placed as to be in direct line with the block
gante. Ia the course Of twelve month, Ii
block had entirely changed ITS position as r
apecting the two poles, and had advanced VI
q tDWAlt
the valley clear ,oof that the glaciers 4
move on, and are continually diminishing at the
lower extremity by the melting Of the ice, an
increasing at the upper end By the constal
SHOWS
(To Be tnntll1a9 nert ,neah