Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-03-18
lcnhl lnst iisclf IN a bInc haze.

depth lost itself in blue haze.
! For upwards Of half an hour we kept on
slowly mounting this iceberg until we reached
tho foot Of the last ascent-thc cdiote as il is
called-the ''cap" Of Mont Blanc. The danger
was now over, but not the labor, for this dome
of ice was difficult to mount. Thc axe was a.
gain in requisition; and every body was so
l"blown," in common parlancc, that we had 70
stop every three or four minutes. NV Young
companions kept bravely on like fine fellows as
they were, getting ahead even of some of the
guides; but was perfectly done up. Honest
Tairraz had no sinecure to pull me after him, for
was stumbling about, as though completely in
toxicaied. could not kcepmy eyes open, and
planted my feet anywhere but in the right place.
| know was exceedingly cross. have cvenI
a recollection Of having tcoldea my ''tcam, =" be-
cause they did not go quicker; and was cx-
ceedingly indignant when one of them dared to
call my attention TO Monte Rosa. At last one
or two went in front, and thus somewhat quick
ened our progress. Gradually our speed in
creased, until was scrambling almost on my
hands and knees; and then, as l found myself
on level, it suddenly stopped. Hooked round,
and saw there was nothing higher. The batons
were stuck in the snow, and the guides were
grouped about, some lying down, and others
standing in little parties. was on the top Of
Mont Blanci
The ardent wish Of years was gratifed; but /
was so completely exhausted that without look
ing round me, fell down upon the snow, and
was asleep in an instant. i never knew the
charm before of that mysterious and brief re-
pose, which ancient people term ''forty winks."
Six or seven minutes of dead slumber was
enough to restore the balance Of my ideas; and
when Tairraz awoke me, was once more per-
fectly myself. And now entered into the full
delight that the consciousness Of our success
brought with it. 1t was little time before
could look at anything steadily. l wanted the
whole panorama condensed into one point; for,
gazing at Geneva and the Jura, thought Of the
plains Of Lombardy behind me; and turning round
towards them, my eye Immediately wandered
away to the Oberland, with its hundred peaks
Iglittering in the bright morning sun. There
was TOO much TO see, and yet not enough: |
mean, the view was so vast that, whilst every
point and valley was matter Of interest, and
eagerly scanned yet the elevation was so great
that all detail was lost. What did observe
Twill endeever 70 render account of--not as u
tourist might do, who, planting himself in imagi-
nation on the Mont Blanc Of Kele's map or
Auldio's plan, puts down all the points that he
considers might be visible, but Just they
struck me with an average travellers notion Of
lSw itzvrland.
In the first place, il must be understood, as
have just intimated that the height greatly takes
away from the interest Of the view, which its
expanse scarcely makes ameLds for. As a
splendid panorama, the sight from the Rigi
the little steamer plying from Lucerne to Flue-
lyn, the tiny omnibusses on the lake side-foad to
Art, the desolation of Goldau, and the section of
the fatal Rossberg, are all subjects of interest
and much admiration. But the Rigi is six thou
sand feet above the sea level; and Mont Blanc is
, over fifteen thousand. The little clustered viii
, lage, seen from the Kuhn, becomes mere white
: speck from the crown of the monarch.
{ The morning was most lovely; there was a
wreath of mist coming up from the valley. One
of our guides had been up nine times, and he
said he had neNe seen such weather. But
, with this extreme clearness of atmosphere there
was filmy look about the peaks, merging into
, the valleys. All the great points in the neigh
borhoOd of Chamouni-the Buet, the AiguillC
. Vere, the Col du Bonhommc, and even the Ber
= nese Alps-were standing forth clear enough
!, but the other second-class mountains were mere
: ridges. 1t was sometime before | could find
:, out the Brevent at all, and many of the All
guilles were sunk and merged into the land
. scape. There was strange feeling in looking
which had been accustomed to know only a,
Il so many giants Of the horizon. The other hill
:, had sunk into perfect insigniicancc, or rather
:, looked pretty much the same as they do in tn,
:. ;. relief models at the map shops. The entir
. length Of the Lake of Geneva, with the Jur
:, beyond, was very clearly defined; and beyon
:, these again were the faint blue hills of Burgun
2 dy. Turning round TO the south east l locke
: down on the Jardin along the same glacier b
! which the visitor TO the Couvercle let's his ey
:, travel to the summit Of Mont Blanc. Rigi
y. away over the Col du Geant we saw the plair
20 of Lombardy very clearly, and one of the guide
- insisted upon pointing out Milan; but ! coul
!, not acknowledge it. | was altogether more IL
~ tereSted in finding out the peaks and gorg'
\ comparatively near the mountain, than stTainiI
~ my eyes after remote matters Of doubt. OF Il
T., entire coup d. ell no descriptive power CT
i, convey the slightest notion. Both Mont 'Blai
- - and the Pyramids, viewed from below, ha'
:, never been clearly pictured from the utter a
Ia sence of anything by which proportion could
-. fixed. From the same cause, it is next TO IN
' possible to describe the apparently boundle
II, undulating expanse of jagged, snow-topp'
'h peaks, that stretched away as far the horiz,
w en- s1l sides beneath srs. Where everything
us SO almost incomprehensible in its magnitude,
~ sufficiently graphic comparison can be institute
u (Conclusiof, neIt week.
- Since the award Of the New York prize for the
~ conundrum Old Roger has been justly indignant W
himself that he did compete for it, The other MI
at the Museum, while witnsssiRg WAren's capital p
sonation Of the "MembeT from Cranberry Cent?
OId Roger TUNED round to Mr.. Spear AMI as kei hi
,p laughing heartily al the same time, why Warren