Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-09-16


great blessings How desolatc should
feel here tonight, at tic foot of this
mighty mountain without the moon ! |,
fee. 80 smali-aLd such pigmy-in these
alleys
.1Rut slept sOuudly at the foot of
NJ n Blanc
up THE KING MOUNTAIN Towering ioto
Tie all to thss = 9igas q I ooT fret
/ Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in
Europe, the highest poiut Of the Pyrenccs
being only 1922 feet. II has also the
distinction Of being the boundary between
France aud Italy. It was frst assembled
in i 1885, by jacques BAlHat, on intrepid
guide. who, on his. return, was attacked
by asqri?us illness. consequent 70 his great
fatigue ard over e3Grtionc uH He fortunate
| ly recovered from this, and made one
other ascent during his life. 10 him the
world is chiefly indebted forjts Knowledge
of this monster mountain. 1t is cnstom-
ary to only attempt the ascent as far as
the Grand Mulat, less than half way to
! the e2tremc summit. The undertaking
is an extremely hazardous one, as the i'm.
mense snow field and glaciers frequently
become dislodged by even the sound of
the voice, and rush furiousIy down into
the Ghamonuy valley, carrying destruction
aud death before them The ascent to
the summit is also very expensive, as each
person requires thrcc guides, who charge
about twenty dollaEs each in gold. The
adycuturer is tied to them hy rope,
which also passes around their own bo
dies, for the purpose of holding each 9th.
Ter up, and to prevent falling into The ter.
rible gorges aud faIhomleSs cbasms tbat
yawn on every hand. The ascent oecu.
pies about th,ee days, the night being
spent III the gorges of the mountain, which
afford but poor shelter
There is nothing Interesting in the dc
tails Of climbing up the ragged side of a
mountain. Leaving the hotol carly il
the morning, with Que mulss &r at party
of three persons, we toiled pp and up
over the rocks, acrcss the rushing tor.
rents, exchanging places in the mule sad
die as often as necessary. But walking
up an inclined plane at an angle of forty
five degrees sometimes almost perpend,
cular, is easier than clinging to the back
of an ugly aud lazy mule, such as our an
imaI proved to be. By noon we had
reached the little house where a fearless
Swiss mountaineer vends refreshment'
foI excursionists We sat down to fru
gal dinner. and toasted for the first tint
fvc thousand feet above the sea Below
the little cottage, perched on projecting
, rock lay the beautiful Chamouuy valley
dotted with its poor tenements, the clouds
between us aud the kouses we enjoying
: the sunshine iu an icv altitude, the in
habitants of the village living on in thei
, simple way beneath the Rcecy clouds
70 the right the mer ds gioce simmer
ed iu the SUP, with delicate A pine
roses reepipg from under the edges Of th
ice cakes--a strong freak Of nature; a
bove. away up beyond the eyes Wis
vision, buried beneath thousands of fee
of ice and snow, the accumulation Of cen
} turies, lowered thesummit of Mont Blanc
Q in all the sublime consciousness Of beiD,
+ one of Gods greatest works. g:iOo sgsi
After dinner we went, still higher u
with our guide. by meansi of - Alpin
stocks " This is a very curious implemen
) "a long hard wood stick, with stou
e spike in the eud to keep you' from slip
: ping and snImounied at the top by
G chamois' horn, for pulling yourself ii
!, over the rocks AS often as you hav
{ made the ascent Of mountain, crossed
0 dificolt pass, the peasantslying near bur
= the name ofthe PLACE on the stick. whic
' becomesa sort Of log.book Two thor
t and. feet above the place where VIC dine
t we found mountain goats browsing on tn
+ tender herbqge that grows 50 green anon
9 the glaciers. Each had its liu'le be
: around the neck, and the ipkling sounC
ed strange in such a place At nigt
2 their owners blow horn, and they &
u down into the valley 10 be MIXED. III
!. is also tho favorite resort Of the chamo
hunters during the winter season. "
:. saw the little bodies of several of the
q fleet footedpnimals standing on the vel
verge oflhe highest precipices. We cal
% not but wonder at the wisdom .whic
II created hese little anipala 10 inhabit atc'
u defles and towering highto.
is A last look at the valley of Glamour
y and we retrace our steps An avalspel
is tumbles down the gorgea few feet fro
0 the party, with the uoiso Of artillery, az
n the rivors in the valley swell 10 volum
1 Thua tho maiestic Rhine is formed,