Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-03-11

III
our work; but laethern cup OF St. George put
a litde life and warmth into US, for we were
chilled with the delay. and It was now intensely
cold. We also saw the other lanterns approach
ing, and we now formed, as il were, one long
caravan. Stillin single file we set of again, and
the effect Of our silent march was now unoarth-
ly and solemn, to degree that was almost pain
fully impressive Mere atoms in this wilder
ness Of perpetual frost, we were slowly advan-
cling over the vast plain-slowly following each
other on the track which the leading glimmering
dot OF light aided the guide to select. The re-
nected moonlight, from the Dome du Goute,
~i:;e!s E5vs@se45 Ike huge mountain Of frosted
silver, threw a cold CLEAN over the plateau, suf-
icient to show its immense and CHASTITY space.
lfilgiiup on cur right was the summit of Mont
Blanc, apparently as close and as inaccessible rs
ever; and immediately ON our left was the ap-
palling gulf, yawning in the ice Of unknown
depth, into which the avalanche swept DIR. Ham4
els guides; and in whose depths, ice-bound and
unchanged, they are vet locked. Tairraz crept
close to me, and said, through his teeth, almost
in whisrer--"C'est ici, Monsieur, que mon
frere Auguste est peri en- 1920, ayec Bslmat ct
Carrier: les pauvres corps sont encore la basis
ca me dome de peine, tonjours, en- trayersant la
Plateau; Ell la route est encore perilleuse. !" Fl
les avalanches?o | asked--''tombent elles tou-
jours?" .Oni, Monsieur, toujours--nuit ct jour.
LIE plutot passe, mieux pour nous!" "T -a
In fact, although physically the easiest, this
was the most treacherous part of the entire as
cent. A fake Of snow or clip Of ice, whirled
Iby the wind from the summit, and increasing
Jas 1t rolled down the top Of the mountain, might
at length thunder on 70 our path, and sweep ev-
|erything before il into the creyiee. Everybody
was aware Of this; and for three quarters of an
hour we kept trudging LurriedIy forward, scarcely
daring to speak, and every now and then looking
Iup with mistrust at the cdIotte, as the summit is
termed that rose above us in such cold and de-
Iceitful tranquility. Once or twice in my lie
have been placed in circumstances Of the greatest
peril and | now experienced the same dead
calm in which my feelings always were sunk OF
these occasions. knew that every step we
took was gained from the chance of a-horri6le
death; and yet the only thing that actually dis
dressed me was, that the two front lanterns
would not keep the same distance from one an
other-a matter Of the most utter unlmportanct
to everybody. .sa
At last we got under the shelter Of the Ro
chers Rouges, and then we werein comparatiy'
safety; since, were an avalanche TO fall, the,
: would turn its course on 10 the plateau we ha
just quilted. A small council was assemble
T of us, was compelled to give in--he was don
| UP and could go no farther Indeed, it woul
0 have been madness to have attempted it, for w
found him lying on the snow, vomiting fright
9 fully, with considerable hemorrhage from th
I nose / think this must have been about tn
same elevation at which young MIR. Talfour'
e was compelled to give in, in lS--. told on
r poor companion that he must not think the wors
!, lof us for leaving him there, with his guide, a
:, unfortunately we could do nothing for him; bu
; | recommended him to go back as speedily as h
f could to the Grands Mulets, where he woul
o find everything that he might require. He too
l. this advice, and, indeed, we found him still ;
II THE rock, on our return.
'e AS we reached the almost perpendicular wa
IS Of ice below the Rouges we came into the Iu
3 moonlight; and, at the same timo, far away c
D. the horizon the red glow of daybreak was graz
lg lually tinging the sky, and bringing the high'
I'd and more distant mountains into relief. I'll
r, inlon of these two effects Of light was vel
I'd strange. At first, simply cold and bewilderin
/ it had nothing Of the sunset gories Of the Gran
* Mulets; but after time, when peak after pc;
ts rose out from the gloomy world'belOw, the spe
as tacle was magnificent. In the dark boundie
en- space small speck of light would suddenly a
lot pear, growing larger and larger, until it To-
es the palpable form Of a mountain-top. Viii
this was going on, other points would brightC
he here and there, and increase in the same ma
of ner; then the silvery CLEAN would mark the |
lily sition of lake rejecting the sky-it was 4
ow of Geneva-until the grey hazy ocean Light
tie up into hills and valleys, and Irregularities
he the eniire world below warmed into the glow
m sunrise. We were YET in gloom, shadOwed
the the Aiguille Sans Nom, with the summit
of Mont Blanc shut out from us by the Roch
to Rouges; but, of course, it must have been
i'll, earliest to catch the rays.