The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-06-07
ful one-thatit parts me from my bencfac-
tor.
From the Museum.
CAPTAIN SRERwELL's VISIT TO
MONT BLANC.
Erido1t. .Hyt1,tsf Of

soon on the alert. In some degree enyied them
the comfortable sleep they had experienced -
such pleasure wasaened to me by the constant
nausea which had not left me during the night.
me thermometer marked two degrees Reaumur
below zero; and how much lower it had been I
coliid not ascertain, not having one of Cavallo's
horizontal thermometers, which indicate in the
morning the extreme cold during the night. It
IS, however, general opinion, that at the breah
of day, and Just before the sun rises the coId !.
at the greatest, and do not think the thermorn-
ctcr has been much lower.
A good fire was soon blazing in one corner
OF our ormitory; snow was melted, some me-
gus made, and two or three cold fowl, soon dis
appeared; was thirsty, but my appetite was
gone.
As soon as breakfast was finished, we made
preparations for our second DAYS march; and
having determined, if we possibly could, to sleep
at the same place the second night, we left great
part OF our baggage, taking with us provisions
tor midday meal, and two or three bottles O
vine; our shoes and stockings were hung up to
dry IN the sun, there being no fear, as Coutet
observed, hat they would be stolen by any pass.
crsby. Towards five O'Clock, we were all in
readiness, the ropes were again affixed to us as
yesterday, and we started forth, linked together
like criminals to be tried for life or death. Cou.
tet gave us paper of raisns and figs, which he
said would be very acceptable to MUNICH occa-
sonally with handful of snow. On descending
from Les Grands Mulets, we passed by the ruins
ot the small hut which Monsieur de Saussurc had
erected during his visit to Mont blanc in 1887.
It was good deal encumbered with snow, and
the walls did not appear more than two or three
feet high. lprcferred the spot we had chosen
for our nights lodging, as the views were more
extensive.
Alters cursory review of the remains of the hut
which the iudefatipahlS Gam b,l
pied, we almost immediately found ourselves on
the Glacier dc Iacconai. Our guides felt very
! san8lnne as to the weather. The sky was clear,
and the morning cold, although the sun had al.
ready influenced our thermometer before we left
the Grands Mulets; for between four and five
o'clock 1t had risen one degree, and was thus
y one degree below sero when we commenced
our second days journey.
The Glacier dc facconai s not so difficult to
traverse as the one we had encountered yestere
day, but should say it was more replete with
beauties ofits own kind. 1t would be endless
to detail toyou our progress over the crcvices
our descent INTO them, and the difficulties of O.
vercoming the irregularities on the ice. These
! glaciers, as well as others among the Alps, are
supposed to be in many places five hundred OF
SIX hundred feet thick Where the inclination
otthe rock on which they are formed, makes an
angle OF thirty or forty degrees, their descent
must be supposed to be somewhat rapid towards
the valleys, although their movements is of course
imperceptiblc TO the eye. Passing, as they do,
over very rugged foundation, parts of them are
impeded, while other parts arc proceeding; and
hence arise the crevices or cracks, some ofwhch
! | have seen not wider than half an inch, appara
/ emily just made, while others were much too
large for us TO pass over. Once we made bridge
by laying four or five of our poles in Horizontal
i position, close together, where the chasm uss
not very wide, but of unknown depth. The ice
of the glaciers has different appearance from
! that which we see on ponds or lakes. in no case
could skates be used: the ice is porous and
scarcely ever can you find piece exempt from
lnntmcrable air bubbles, except in icices, the
formation OF which arc evidently different. We
were obliged frequently to cut ladders or steps
in the rapid ascents or walls of ice; and think
it Was seldom so hlrd as the common ice in our
valleys, the globulcs of air naturally rendering it
less compact. The ice in these lofty regions is
plainly formed in . different manner from all 0.
thcr ice. There IS constant, though gentle,
tliaw, III the day, and this humidity freezes every
night; thus an ice is produced Which might be
said to be composed Of an endless succession Of
strata, and the midday thaw not being sufficient
TO dissolve all the snow, the air consequently is
not driven out; hence the innumerable instersti-
ces. II is well KNOWN and easily understood,
that whenever it rains in the valleys, it SHOWS oil
,hesc mountains; so that, in fact, it never rains
on the summit of the Alps.
These glaciers are constantly fed, not only by
the SHOWS, but by u thousand smaller glaciers,
which descend from the peaks through the rs-
vines, to aid the growth of the greater. On ma.
ny sides of these perpendicular aiguilles, the
snow finds no place to lodge, as is very evident
on that face of Mont Blanc next to the Alice Bian.
che; consequently in long and heavy snow
storms, the accumulation on the glaciers, which
become the rese# oir, is double what it would
be, if tho surrounding country was plain*.
We continued our journey across the Glacier
dc Tacconai, in . direction leading towards the
Dome de Goutc. In about two hours We en-.
countered fresh difficulties, such as we had not
experienced before from the fresil,fallcn SHOWS.
not more than three or four days old the sur
face frozen of the thickness of shilling, but
not sufficiently TO bear our weight consequent
y the fatigue of walking became very great, as
we had lost all solid footing. This fresh snow
retarded our progress very much, for the guides
were obliged to advance considerable disiauc>
before MS i'll order to ascertain the most prscti.
cable Path the crevices being partly obscure!,
the danger Of passing them was very much in
creased We frequently halted some minutes
for their return, and, if their report was mfu'
vonrble, we changed our direction and pursue ]
another The anxiety and perseverance of the
guides We're beyond all praise, and could only be
\ equaed by degree Of calmness and prudence
rarely met with in such hardy fellows.