Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-02-26

4
him. We kept on in single file, winding back
wards and forwards amongst the trees, until we
came to the last habtation Up the mountain,
which is called the Chalet de Ia Para; and here
II was glad TO quiz my mule, and proceed with
the rest on foot. From this point the vegeta-
tion gradually became more scanty; and, at last,
even the fr-trees no longer grew about u.s.
The hillside was bare and arid covered with
the debris Of the spring ayalanches--amongs
which tufts Of alpine rhododendron were blow
ing--and some goats were trying very Hard to
pick up living. Our caravan was now spread
about FAR and wide; but at half past nine we came
to an enormous block Of granite called the Pier
re FUintne, and here we reunited our forces and
rested awhile. During our halt the porters
readjusted their packs; and some who had car
ried or dragged up billets Of wood with them,
which they found on the way, chopped them
into lengths and tied them on to their knapsacks.
The weight some of these men marched un-
der was surprising. Hitherto we had been on
the ridge Of one of the mighty buttresses of
Mont Blanc, which hem in the glaciers between
them we had now TO cling along its side TO gain
the ice. This part Of the journey requires
strong head: here, and towards the termination
Of the ascent, dizziness would be fatal. Along
the side of the mountain, which is all but per-
pendicular, the goats have worn a rude track,
scarcely foot broad. On your left your shoul-
der rubs the rock; and on your right there is
frightful precipice, at the bottom of which, hun
dreds of feet below you, is that confusion of ice,
granite blocks, stones, and dirty roaring water,
which forms in its ensemble the boundary of
glacier. The view is supurb, but you dare not
look at it. 1t is only when the loose ground
crtlmbles away beneath your right foot, and you
nearly slideaway over the precipice--you would
do so if the guide did not seize you by the arm
with the sudden grip of vice-that you give
up staring about you, and do nothing but CAREFUL
ly watch the footst teps Of the man who is going
on before. The path goes up and down-its
gradual tendency, however, is to descend and
in about twenty minutes we had arrived at the
bottom of the ravine. Here we had another
half-hour's troublesome scramble over loose
Iboulders, which threw and twisted our ankles
about in every direction, until at last we gained
the second station, if it may so be called of our
journey-another huge rock called the Pierre a
L Echeie under shelter Of which "a ladder is left
from one year to the other, and is carried on by
the guides, to assist them in passing the crew.
ces on the glacier. The remains OF an old one
was likewise lying here, and the rugs of it were
Immediately seized for frewood. We were
now four thousand feet above Chamouni, and the
wonders of the glacier world were breaking up
on us. The edge Of the ice was still half an
hours walk beyond this rock, but it appeared
close at haad-literaily within stone s-throw.
So vast is everything that surrounds the trav-
eler-there is such an utter absence Of any
COMPREHENSIVE standard Of comparison--his ac-
tual presence is so insignifcant--a mere unheed-
ed, all but invisible speck on this mountain world
that every idea of proportionate size or dis.
tance is lost. And this impossibility Of calcula-
tion is still further aided by the bright clear air,
seen through which the granite outlines miles
away are as sharply defined as those of the rocks
you have quilted but half an hour ago.
Far below us, long after the torrents had lost
themselves in little grey threads amongst the
pine-woods, we saw the valley Of Chamouni
with its fields and pastures parceled out into
particoored districts, like the map Of an estate
sale and we found the peaks of other mountains
| beginning to show above and beyond the lofty
Brevent. Above us, mighty plains of snow
| stretched far and away in all directions; anC
through them the ice-crags and pinnacles OF thu
: two glaciers, Blossoms and Taconay, were eve
1 rywhere visible. On either side of us, at thu
E distance perhaps of couple Of miles from eaci
= other, were the two huge buttresses Of Mon
= Blanc which form the channel Of the glacier be
fore alluded to. Along one Of these we ha'
e come UP from the valley: de Saussure chose tn
o up the sides of these mountains were wondrou
: cornices of ice of incaculable weight, threaten
), ing TO fall every instant. Pieces now and the
q tumbled down with noise like distant thunder
S but they were not lar ge enough to be dangerous
l. Had block Of several tons descended at onc'
h its momentum would have carried 1t along tn
Is ghcier, sweeping everything before 1T; and
Id this occurrence the guides are constantly
dread.
re We rested here nearly half an hour; and
ID twas moi until We unpacked some OF our CO
re fowls from the GalignaniS in which they wei
,r rolled that we found our knives and forks h;
$, been left behind. Tairraz thought Balmat hi
l. Ithem-and Balmat had told Carrier TO look a
es ter them-and Carrier had seen them on Il
e. bench outside the hotel Just as we started, al
m expected Y oung Devouassoud had put them
a his knapsack-and so It went on. But nooo'
rs in the end had brought them. Most otus' hoV
&c ever, had pocket-knives; and what we could
IL carve we pulled to pieces with our fingers al
OF made famous meal. The morning was
te bright, and the air so pure, and the view
he grand, and we were already so fatigued-or la
ct ced we were-that believe, if the guides h'
II mot beaten us up again into marching order, v
Il, should have dawdled in this Pierre 'Echel
4 llea= hale the day, So we took our batons AZ
nd started off again; and after troublesome scuH
I'd over the grimy border Of the glacier we reach
nd its clean edge, and bade gocd-by 70 III
footing and visible safety for the rest OF the
ed lcursion.
or The first portion of the journey across I
"a, Glacier des Blossoms is easy enough, .provid
,e- always that the outer crust OF snow lying up
NO il is tolerably hard. We emarohed on in SIM
les hle the guides taking it BY turns to lead (as
no first man had Of course the heaviest work,
lde midst cliffs and hillocks, and across sop'