New-York daily tribune., 1844-01-23
VDE. EEH. NO. 296.


sowness of the diligence had SO deranged our
calculations as to times that the last three hours
Of the route were performed in utter darkness
The road lay along preclplces of unknown depth
and across torrents into which the horses plunged
breast-decp, while not even single star peeped
out to light the way. 1t was certainly not very
comfortable route for night-rdng, but an old
| traveller becomes a practical tatahst, and resigns
himself undoubtingly to the chances OF war and
the skill of his driver, comforting himself with
the truisln that ' che sara sara" and remember
ing the good example Of the philosophical voyager
in a storm at sea, who was told by terrified
sailor that the ship was sinking, but replied, most
cooIIy and properly "what is that to me am
only a passenger And accordingly in justifca-
ton of our philosophy, after sustaining our
courage by good supper at S5ervoz, late at night
We arrived safely at Chamonir.
In narrow plain, $500 feet above the level
Of the sea, at the very foot Of Mont Blanc, and
surrounded on all sides by rocky mountains,
capped with eternal SHOWS, lies the village OF
CHAMoNIx. In this valley it is sunk as if at the
bottom of well and the Sun does not rise upon
it till he has shone for an hour or two on the
mountain peaks. The village was unknown to
the world in general. till it was discovered.
century ago by two English travellers. Since
then its vicinity to the loftiest and grandest
mountain in Europe has made it place Of great
resort. During its short summer Of three months
its men are chiefly employed as guides to the
recesscs Of its dangerous neghbors. and In WIN
ter they take care of the herds which arc the
principal support Of the inhabitants. The valley
is usually covered with snow for seven months of
the year. and the village is then shut out from all
the world, and the people in fact buried alive:
but, as my informant added, we cannot all have
a fine country, and we must live where we arc
born" Eight less contented families from Cha
monk have however emigrated to Louisville,
(Kentucky) whence they send most enthusiastic
descriptions of its fertility. An old woman whom
| found in an inn, the mother Of one Of the wan
derers was in exstacies on learning that had
visited the place where her son had settled, and
exclaimed that she could now die happy.
OF the many interesting excursions which may
be made from Chamonix the most striking,
though the most difficult and dangerous, is that
by Montaurcrt, across the Ncr-de- Glace to the
Jardin. If this be undertaken, it is best done at
first before the limbs arc fatiguod and weakened
by the ascents Accordingly, the morning after
reaching Chamonix, set out at the break of day,
having learnt from Murrays " handbook Ito the
whole series of which | would desire once for all
to acknowledge my great obligations that the
Journey required sixteen hours, crossing the Arve,
and the meadows, the path ascends the steep
mountain-sdc, zigzaggng from right to left and
back again, and making many long sweeps to
gain slight elevation. 1t twists among isolated
rocks and projecting roots, hanging always on
the brow Of the prccpice and crossing several
channels of former avalanches in which the
guides desire silence, lest even whisper should
arouse the avalanche slumbcring above. This is
however little piece Of charaanry on their
part and, without adopting their prccautlon, IN
two hours VIC reached NOntduoert, or the i" Green
Mountain" SIX thousand feet above the level OF
the sea. Here is a house, for the entertainment
Of visitors, which You are very willing to patron
ise after your arduous labors All around this
towering far above even them, Mont Blanc him
self, looking higher and more majestic than ever,
and seeming still farther above you, that
YOU have partly mounted his side, and are
treading on the skirts OF his robe, than when you
were at his very feet.
In front of you stretches the great glacier OF
the Mer- de Glace, or sea of ice" which you
are now to traverse in order TO reach the Jardin.
The enormous frozen mass fills the deep valley
between the mountains for a length of SIX miles,
rising slightly towards the upper end To reach
Il from the Montauvert you creep along the nearly
=. >rt>ndicular side of the rocky mountain your
7. stopping upon the edges and Little knobs
left bv the scaling rocks, and clingng 10 them
bv your very finger-nas, while the Hef-dc-G50ce
k seen at dizzy depth below you, ready 10 re-
coive ven should you fall rhc three most diff
cui. narts q re called Bridges" and are mere
ledaes oro;ec, ing an inch beyond the face OF the
rock. on these you shuttle along, resting on the
,,erc e,ycs OF your feet, till you begin TO COM
,rcI,cnd how :, y can work along perpendlcu-
lar wall. Just after passing these, geologist
,,;,, notice the line of. junction of the limestone
md ,be ,rra uite, which thcnceforward Is alone
seen From he Bridges" you descend to a
r;dce of loose ro @ks. called the Tongue" and
YOU tumble among them, creeping under some
and ever others, nil at last you reach the her de-
Giaee. along which yo,. route next hes Its
surface, which looked Sigh, ''y uneven from above
;s now found TO consist of hi N peaks ana deep
hoIows, broken and tossed in es 0S o'i'''i''' 90
ii it were an ocean suddenly frozen a''ei SOM