Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-10-01


There's something good in every heart!
ASCENT OF MoNT BLANC BY ALBERT SMITH
--Chamounix, August Id, lS5l.-This quiet
ALPINE valley has for the last week been in a
most unusual state of activity and excitement
About seven days ago the people learned that
three students from the University at Oxford
and an English author, were getting themselves
into condition for the ascent of Mont Blanc
Guides and villagers were at once on the qui
piue, and the adventurous party were regarded
with much interest wherever they went On
Tuesday morning the preparations being CON-
pleted, the party set out from the hotel with
sixteen guides, and number of aspirants for
the post of guide who attended the voyagers
and their paid party for the purpose of learn
ing the rout to the summit of the mountain
After their departure, telescopes refixed from
the windows of the Inn and in other places, to
watch the progress of the toilsome ascent, and
before six o'clock it was evident the voyagers
had crossed the great glacier, and had arrived
at their resting place for the night--on the
GrandS MulletS. Yesterday morning, as soon
as daylight afforded n clear view the adventu-
rors were again visible by the aid Of a good
glass, and by twelve o'clock were making the
final ascent. They rested on the summit for
about twenty minutes, and then commenced
their descent, arriving here about seven o'clock.
The excitement during the previous twenty
four hours had been very great in Chamounix,
anxious wives and parents having husbands and
sons among the party up IN the SHOWS, and the
interest being by no means diminished by the
fact that Robert Peel who had arrived here af-
ter the departure of his relative for the ascent
invited all the men remaining in the village,
about sixty in number, TO an entertainment pro-
vided at an auberge, where they were supplied
with wine and other popular liquids in which
to drink the health of the Englishmen who
were sleeping on Mont Blame. This ceremony
was repeated in the most willing manner again
and again till long after midnight. When in the
evening, the party from Mont Blanc approached
the village, nearly all the inhabitants assembled
TO meet them. Guns were fired in quick sue
cession; the harps and fiddles Of the valley
were in requisiton, and sort of half comic
al half triumphal scene ensued The travellers
and guides looked very jaded and sun-scorched,
and had very blod-shot eyes and rather dilapi-
dated costumes, but in other respects, seemed
to be in tolerable condition. This successful
ascent by four Englishmen, turns the scale of
numbers in favor of the English the French
tourists having been hitherto accustomed to
point with satisfaction to the fact that more of
their countrymen than of ours had succeeded
in reaching the top of the King OF the Alps.
The present forms the 25th ascent--the first
dating 1887 The cost as well as labor and dan
ger Of these daring excursions is very great.
The talk of the village declares that the ascent
will cost the party of four travellers fully Gl50.
CUNosITIEs FROM THE UPPER Missouri
H. olt
account of various curiosities brought from the
wild regions that border on the upper waters of
the Missouri River:
"The Steamer st. Ange, Capt Labarge, ar
rived here yesterday from the Yellow Stone, af-
ter voyage Of fifty-two days. Capt. l.. in
forms us that for ten years past he has, in eve-
bic looking solitary cedar tree standing upon
bleak and elevated point, about fifty miles be-
low the mouth of the Yellow Stone. While
coming down, this last trip, he saw that his old
acquaintance had fallen.to the earth Curiosi-
ty led him to the spot which was about half
mile from the river, and perhaps 100 feet above
its level, when he found to his surprise, that the
tree was in the most perfect state of petrifac-
ton. Judging from the shortness of the inter-
val since he had seen it standing, it must have
been in that condition while standing erect as
it had grown The trunk was about thirty-six
inches in diameter. A fragment from it is now
lying upon our table, and is decidedly the most
perfect specimen of ligenous petrifaction we
have ever seen.
DIR. Evans, u. S. Geologist, who came as pas
senger on the Ange found near the same spot,
the shoulder blade of Mastodon, measuring
nearly and half feet across-also some en-
Crmous foot bones Of the same animal. Fossil
shells, the head of a snake, and other curiosi-
ties, were found by DR.. E, in the same locality.
Among the notabilities of the trip was the
catching of q beautiful specimen of Linnet-a
bird very rarely seen-by some of the boat
hands. Its pumage is beautiful, and the melo-
dy OF its song most charming
Mr. Berthold, who also came on the boat,
brought with him the stuffed skin of one of the
mammoth mountain sheep of the Yellow Stone
region. 1t stands about as large as an ordina-
ry mich COW, and is indeed remarkable curios-
ity.
Capt Labarge brought down some beautiful
specimens of the rocks found on Cannon Ball
river, whose name is derived from them They
are perfectly spherical, and without very close
inspection, would pass for real cannon ball any,
where. They are of sizes ranging from that of
n common marble toy to the bulk of half
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