The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-04-15
MOUNT BLANC.

|
| MOUNT BLANC.
Those who have visited Switzerland and have
seen Mont Blanc from Chamoix, will allow tha
the following sketch, written from the village
Of Chamouix, is life-like picture of that inter
| esting country:
My first and only Alpine excursion was to the
lfer de Grace, one of the great indeed the great
est, glaciers of the Alps. The glaciers is not a
broad, smooth, glistening mass of ice, as had
supposed it is river of ice ten or twelve miles
long, mile wide, and from two hundred to two
thousand feet in thickness 1t fills, or rather
chokes up great gorge which lies between snow
capped mountains, and moves down one every
day, descending at an angle Of 80 degrees As
the mass melts at the lower end where its drip
pings form q swift river, the ice from above pres
ses its way down, the motion cracks it traverse
ly, and opens ten thousand chasms, each of
which is blue, bOttomless abyss. Its surface
looks like mountain blocks of marble split from
the quarry, and standing on edge irregularly to-
gether. Boulders of granite. weighing five hun
dred tons, lie lightly the glaciers, like peb-
bles on an icepond, and are borne down by it to
the valley. Imagine mountain with 4 motion
of one foot per day Really the speed seems
as great that Of the floods of Niagara
After looking at this terrible momentum. the
wonder comes how it could be staid whether
it be not easier to say, to the ocean 'FIith-
erto shall thou come, but no further Walking
out upon it you see death within step, and feel
yourself an atom. One visit is enough
The sides of these high mountains are always
shedding snow, ice and rocks, which altogether
form glacier. There are many of them among
the Alps. From these MEETINGS of the Ayre,
the Avornoon, and other streams take their rise.
There is IL ylo-s OF men, or rather toU.,
----.-~ bDsi4oes of life to understand the
Alps, and TO guide any paIties passing from one
point to another. Without their coolness and
experience to aid, traveller could do nothing in
the way Of exploring, or even visiting the savage
solitude. They are sober, virtuous class,
and win upon every one by their very noble
qualities. From all that l hear, doubt not
they would die il necessary to the safelp of such
as put themselves under their guidance. These
guides are ready even to ascend Mt. Blanc
Jacques Balmet, one of the most daring and ex-
perlenced, was the man who first made the as
cent when he was seventy years old.
He started forth alone to explore some ice
gorge far in among almost inaccessible and un-
approachable peaks. The old man never was
heard OF any more. Whenever you read of any
ones making the ascent of Mt. Blanc. you may
set it down that the guides ascended it for him:
that is, guides have been employed they have
gone before and behind him, told him where to
pat his pike place his foot, tried for him eve
y loose, dangerous stepping place. cut out steps
Tor him on the very steep Of the summit, and
even carried him along, and lifted him up, and
may be brought him down and thus secured to
him the eclat and glory of having performed the
hardy, perilous feat of having ascended Mt.
Blanc. All the guides get stipulated sum-
As twenty of these are usually employed, it
costs about $500 to ascend the king Of the Alps.
All the travellers are waiting to see his hoary
crown, for he seldom reveals his august head
The clouds rise and seem to be moving right off
and ready to lift their misty curtain, but when
they are almost gone they let themselves down
again, as if to screen him at his bidding. As
We all watched anxiously their sublime hesita-
ton, understood what David has said of God,
Clouds and darkness are around about Him.
The same traveller thus speaks of his last look
at this mountain He writes under date of Oc-
tober 1st.
This morning took last look at Mont Blanc
The sun came out clearly, and there was not a
cloud in the valley upon the mountains pure
lofty, uncompromising, enduring, unapproacha-
bic seemed this, the highest of the Alps-like
unto Him who made it; yet, as the sun lighted
it up and fringed its top was beautiful as a noun
tain of silver and as if one might easily ascend
and step off, from it into Heaven Every peak,
and dome, and needle, cleaned with white glo-
ry, and all the circle of mountains gave witness
to the majesty of Jehovah.
''Above me are the Alps,
The palaces of nature, whose vast walls
Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps
And thrOned eternity, in icy halls
Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls
The aYalanche-the thunderbolt of snow
All that expands the spirit, yet appals,
Gather round thesd SUBMITS as to show
How earth may pierce to heaven, yet leave
Vain man below"
ggg%A buck, while being measured for pair
of boots, observed:
''Make them cover the calf''
'HeaEens ?' exclaimed the astounded snob,
surveying his customer from head to foot, 81