Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-03-04
MONT BLANC.
PROM BLAoKwooD's EpISBuRon MAeAztRf.
(Continned.l

| [ C0nItntied.
Young Devounssoud now took the lead, with
a light axe to cut out footsteps and hand-holds
with when necessary, and we followed, very
cautiously placing our feet in the prints already
made. Choises DOS pas !" was a phrase we
heard every minute. Our progress was neces-
sarily very slow; and sometimes we were brought
up altogether for quarter of an hour, whilst
council was held as to the best way of surmount-
ing difficulty. Once only tho neck Of ice a.
long which we had to pass was so narrow that
preferred crossing it saddle-fashiOn, and so
sozkipg myesjfaa wiA my bsado. u was a.
points similar TO this that was most astonished
at the daring and sure-footedness OF the guides.
They took the most extraordinary jumps, alight-
ing upon banks Of ice that shelved at once clean
down the edges of frightful, ,crevices, to which
their feet appeared to cling like those of flies.
And yet we were all shod alike---in good stout
shooting shoes, }" with double row Of hob-nalls;
but, where | was sliding and tumbling about,
they stood like rocks. In all this there was,
however, little physical exeItion for us--it was
simply matter Of nerve and steady head
Where the crevice was SMALL we cDntrived to
Jump over it with tolerablc coolness; and where
it was over three or four feet in breadth, we
made bridge of the ladder, and walked over
on the rounds. There is no great difficulty, to
be sure, in doing this, when ladder lies upon
the ground; but with a chasm Of unknown depth
below it, it is satisfactory to get to the other side
as quickly as possible.
At great many points the now made bridges
which we crossed easily enough. Only one was
permitted to go over at time; that, if it gave
way he might remain suspended by the rope at
tached to the main body. Sometimes we had to
make long detours to get to the end of crevice,
too wide to cross any way; at others, we would
find ourselves all wedged together, not daring to
move, on neck of ice that at first l could
scarcely have thought adequate to have afforded
footing to a goat. When we were thus fixed,
somebody cut notches in the ice, and cl imbed
Iup or down as the case required; then the KNAPP
sacks were pulled up or lowered; then we fol-
lowed, and, finally, the rest got up they could
lOne scramble we had TO make was rather fright
full. The reader must imagine valley Of ice
very narrow, but of unknown depth. Along til,
middle Of ihs there ran cliff, also OF ice, very
narrow at the top, and ending suddenly the sur.
face Of which might have been fifteen feet lower
than the top Of this valley on either side, and OF
it we could not stand two abreast. A rough no
ton of a section of this position may be gained
/, from the letter w, depressing the centre angle
and imagining that the cliff on which we were
standing. The feet of our ladders were set firu
on the neck of the cliff and then it was allowed
to lean the crevice until its other end dtouchec
the wall, so to speak, of the valley. Its tol
round was, even then, seven or eight feet below
where we wanted TO get. One of the youn,
guides went first with his axe, and contrved, b.
some extraordinary succession of gymnasti
feats, TO get safely to the top, although we al
trembled for him-and, indeed, for ourselves
for, tied as we all were, and on sucn treache
rous standing, had he tdmbled he would hav
pulled the next after him, and so on, one follow
} ing the other, until we should all have gon
Ihopelessly TO perdition. Once safe, he 500
helped his fellows, and, one after the other, w
were drawn up, holding to the cord for cur lives
The only accident that bef ell me on the iourne
: here happened. Being pulled quickly up, m
ungloved hand encountered sharp bit Of grant
frozen in the ice, and this cut through the vein
) on my wrist. The wound bled furiously for
few minutes; but the excitement Of the scrambl
had been so great that actually did not know
= was hurt until saw the blood on the snow.
e tied my handkerchief round the cut, and
troubled me no more; but, from such hurrie
surgery, it has left pretty palpable scar.
Our porters would go no farther-promise
: and bribes were now in vain--and they gave u
+, their luggage, and set of on their way back
S Chamounl. We now felt, indeed, a forlorn hop'
: worse than we had already surmounted; and
d bout four o'clock in the afternoon we got to th
r station at which we were to remain until mit
night.
Q The Grands Mulets are two or three comic
! rocks which rise like island peaks from the sno
and ice at the head of the Glacier deS Bosson
II and, were they loftier, would probably
! termed aiguileS. They are visible with Il
q naked eye from Chamouni, appearing like lit
,f cones on the mountain side. Looking UP
Is them, their left hand face, or outer side, as
shall call it, goes down straight at once, sor
IN hundred feet, TO the glacier. On the right han
a. and in front, you can scramble up to them pre-
'y ty well, and gain your resting g-place, which
in about thirty feet from the summit, either
S, climbing the rock from the base, which is We
re steep and fatiguiHg or by proceeding farther
a. along the snow, and then returning little WI
" when YOU find yourself nearly on level w
he your shelf-for such it is. A familiar examI
Id of what mean is given in house built or
TO steep HILL where the back-door may be on
~ third story.
e The ascent o7 this rosa was the fhardess We
er we had vet experienced; it was like climbing
is an immense number of Aag-stones, Of differ
TO heights, set on their edges. Before we got ha
ms way, we heard them firing guns at Chamou
eu which showed us that we were being watcl
ssr' from the village; and this gave us fresh ener
he At last we reached something like platfo
* ten or twelve feet long, and three or four bro
- and below this was another tolerably level sp'
in with low parapet Of loose stones built ro
his it, whilst here and there were several hooks
md corners which might shelter people on elnerg
ta- cy. We acknowledged the salute at Chamo
by sticking one Of our batons into crevice,
tying handkerchief to the top Of IT; and
set TO work 10 clear away the snow 5rom