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

very track by which the sunset glories had passed
upward and away. But it came so tardily that
Il knew would be hours before we derived any
actual benefit from the light. One after another
the guides ffsl asleep, until only three or four
remained round the embers Of the FIRE, thought
fully smoking their pipes. And then silence,
impressive beyond expression reigned over our
isolated world. Often and often, from Chamou-
p j, had looked up at evening towards the dark
e1iDg position Of the Grands Mulets, and thought,
almost withshudderiug, how awful it must be
FOR mer to pass the night in such remote, eter-
nal, and frozen wilderness. And now l was
and appalling solitude. In such close commu-
1lRssa vita nature in hSs yanacss aspect, with no
trace Of actual living world beyond the mere
speck that our little party formed, the mind was
carried far away from its ordinary trains of
Thought solemn emotion Of mingled awe
and delight, and yet self-perception Of abject
nothingness, alone rose above every other feel
ing. A vast untrodden region Of cold, and ST.
lence, and death, stretched out, far and away
from us, on every side; but above, heaven, with
its countless watchful eyes, was over all "
1t was twenty minutes to twelve when the
mote Of preparation for our second start was
sounded. Tairraz shook up the more drowsy of
the guides, and they were soon bustling about,
lfore us. They had not much to carry ow.
Everything, with the exception of few bottles
of wine, some small loayes, and two or three
cold fowls, was to be left on the Grands Mulets:
there was no danger Of theft from passers-by,
as Carrier observed. This quarter Of an hour
before midnight was. think, the heaviest du-
ring the Journey. Now that we were going to
, leave our lodging, did feel uncommonly tired;
! and wild and rugged as it was, began to think
the blankets and wrappers looked very COM
Portable in the ruddy freight, compared to the
Iglooming desert Of ice before us. The moon
; was still low--that is to say, the light on the
mountain had not come farther down than the top
of the Aiguille du Goute, so that we were in
comparative darkness. Three or four lanterns
4 were fitted up with candles; and Jean Tairraz
: had fine affair, like Chinese balloon, or more
truly the round Idmpions used in French illumi-
nations, only larger; and this he tied behind him
r TO light me as followed. Michel DevOuasscud
h took the lead; we came after him with regular
numbers Of guides, each traveller having a Ian
tern carried before him, and then another guide
u or tw o, lightly laden In this order, in single
e file, we left the Grands Mulets-not by the
scrambling route Of our arrival, but by the uppel
IS portion of the rocks, where we descended a
r lonce, in few feet, to the snow. As we passe'
l. the upper Mulets, we heard our Irish fOllowe
" excepting it up'' by himself in most conviva
u fashion, and singing ''God save the Queen" Z
re his guide. Soon afterwards we saw his lanteri
glimmering on our traces; and the light OF thu
second aspirant was also visible, moving abou
before his start.
The snowy side of Mont Blanc, between tn
Grands Mulets and the Rochers Rouges nea
the summit, is formed by three gigantic steps
il they NAV be so called, one above the other
each Of which is many hundred feet high. BE
tween each is comparatively level platform
he glacier; and the topmost Of these, which IS tw
a or three miles across, is called the Grand Pla
of Iteau. Its position can be made out very we
- from Chamomi with the naked eye. Up thes
,st slopes our road lay; and for more than two hour
&C we followed one another in silence-now trude
nd ing over the level places, and now slowly cllmi
ar ling, in zigzag up the sleeps. Very itletaklr
us went on, for we knew that we should soon nee
C. all our breath. The walking here, howevs
a. was by no means difficult: for the snow was hal
nd and crisp, and we made very good progress, a
on though, FOR a long time, we saw the red spec
at, of fire, far below us, cleaning on the Crane
uld Muets. The stars were out, and the air W
zht sharp and cold but only disagreeably biting whit
ow the lightest puff of wind came. This was n
the very often, for we were sheltered on all sid
the by the heights and aiguilles around us.
ON The march from the Mulets to the foot OF t
de- Grand Plateau was the most unexciting part
nto the journey. II was one continuous, stead
ent ascending tramp Of three hours and half-n
the and then retracing our footmarks with III
It'll, grumbling, when it was found, on gaining !
ure neck of a ridge Of snow, that there was an
,io- practicable crevice on the other side; but
yes; general work was not much mons than that
was ascending the Mer de Glace, on your route
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