New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-02-02


within the memory of man as during the present
,o.son The most dangerous and difficult Gre
rasses have remained filled by compact snow,
.,d the perpendicular walls, which it is necessary
IN ascend, have been also covered by the same
material, into which steps could be easily cut.
Four parties have consequently succeeded in
making the ascent. Each gentleman is attended
nv FIVE guides, each of whom receives hundred
francs, acting in the triple capacity of guides to
show the route, Of friends to assist him in diff
cult passes, and of porters to carry provisions
and blankets. On the last of these expeditions
variation from the usual course was adopted
with much advantage. The party started in the
memng (all first attending mass, as is usual in
Catholic countries before encountering any great
DANGER and after mounting all day, instead of
Sleeping as usual at the Grand Mulet, "a little
rocky spot bare Of snow they rested at the Petit
Nulet only from 10 Ii in the evening, and
then resuming their ascent by moonlight, sue
ceeded in reaching the top by sunrise. They
were accompanied by little dog, who with them
o7srcame every difficulty, even the steps cut by
axes in the perpendicular walls Of ice, and was
at the top first Of the party, but no sooner did
they begin to descend than he rushed down as if
mad, reached the village two hours before them,
with one flozen foot, and could never again be
eniced to go near the mountain.
The ascent attempted by sergeant Talfourd,
The distinguished author of Ion" narrowly
escaped fatal result. He was accompanied by
a son Of only sixteen years, and when halfway
uy the boy became completely exhausted by the
fatigue, lying as if dead, scarcely breathing, and
it was with great difficulty that the terrified
father could restore him again to consciousness.
Another of these expeditions resulted in the feet
Of a young guide being so frozen as to require
amputation, though this was attributed to his
carecssness in wearing only ordinary shoes and
Stockings Such are some of the benefits of as
cending Mont Blanc. My guide (Michcl Cachan
who had been twice to the summit had much
good sense on his side, when he said, "For US
guides 1t is well enough to 60 up, for we want
the ronn, h.. - gid : - -
and half die from fatigue, and see nothing but
fog at the top, and go up on y to say that they
have been at the top Of Mont Blanc, 1t is great
piece OF absurdity-c' est une grande betlse."
Heartily agreeing with him in his frank avowal
Of his sentiments, of course did not attempt
the betise, but after employing several days IN
other excursions to the Brepent, Pelerius, &C.,
and becoming satiated with seeing and hearing
falling avalanches, set out for the symptom.
From Chamouni to Martigny two passes are
practicable for pedestrians and TOR mules, OF
these the one by the Col de Baline, has one
Wsqualed view, but the general scenery is much
superior by the Tete Noire. The latter pass
took at sunrise of fine morning at the end OF
September, ascending along the banks of the
Arre through the narrow valley scooped out by
its torrent. On both sides were often seen the
desolate tracks, which had been swept by ava
lanches, whose falling mass had earned away
trees and houses and often borne their fragments,
mixed up with rocks and ice across the valley
and part way up the other side, SO violent and
irresistible was the acquired velocity. At one
place the guide pointed out the spot where year
before, an avalanche had overwhelmed cottage
ID which was a young man, who renamed ou-
4 NED beneath it from one O'Clock in the afternoon
i tll two the next morning, when he at last
succeeded in working his way out, but when ne
4 appeared in the village, pale, bloody and nearly
naked, he found himself Stunned with terror as
ghost, and the cure was sent for to lay the per-
tGoed spirit" before his miraculous escape could
u oe credited as a reality. The same terrible power
twce carried away the church Of ChdusSeree
In the same valley and its old walls, half broken,
are still visible far below their original site. A
4 new church is now nearly finished upon the same
& spot, and before it is erected rampant OF ma
8 sonry IN the form of V with the angle pointing
q " tne mountains, SO as to divide and turn aside
h nom the church the rushing mass of snow, ice
SAsao rocks. Every house for many miles Is ex-
posed to similar dangers and the inhabitants live
Nn constant fear of such catastrophes. A single
similar one has lent additional interest to the
n Notch" of our White Mountains, but here they
Ma1e OF regular annual occurrences
q little farther, mile off the road, is the cas-
@caoe OF Barberinni, two hundred feet high and
Hafched by fine rainbow, but in this country Of
va'aracts it is hardly heard Of Near it is the
suiiit OF Sardinia, and you here enter corner OF
HsW''zerland. The wild beauties of the pass here
aOes'n' The path lies along the side OF steep
n0untain, which rises still higher on your right,
@wale many hundred feet below you foams the
u Eau Nolre, or Black Brook" and on the other
@slas rises another steep mountain ridge The
,slley is always in deep shadow except near mid
Moay' and has peculiarly sombre and gloomy
eaaracter, enhanced by the dark frs and pines
d winch line its sides. The old path wound along
A"e side of the mountain in zig-zags, ascending
quo descending to avoid projecting points, and
imposing on the voyager much unnecessary ia.