New-York tribune., 1872-08-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
ALPINE sCRAMBLEs.

The year 1850 At that time he was engaged py "
,rominent London publisher to make some sho'ones
81 the great Alpine peaks, and although ne hau 'en
never set foot upon mountain, he eagerly "o'tP'.u
the proposal His first experience was q stimulus
tutnro entcrpriscs. His acquaintance with some Oh
,ho Ioftest peaks in Switzerland awakened the pas
- Cor MAINTAIN scralnbling which afterward be-
came n confirmed habit.
M Wbvmper's accOant of his first attempt 10 eS-
eend the MatteThorn forms narrative OF renalN-
able interest In 1861 that gigantic summit SUN IT,
uained in virgin naccessibilty. No infatuated ex-
plorer had ever succeeded in the experiment VI
scaling its dizzy heights The Matterhorn peak II
is now well known, is about l5cOV ieet hgn, ho'
much inferior to the summit OF Mont Blanc
II rises abruptly by series of rownng precpces at
last 600 feet above the glaciers which surround its
bose The difficulty of ascent less etectual IN
preservng il intact than the superstiious teITors
which were connected with Its meme. The natVeS
of tbe surrounding valleys had peopled it with SUI
peInatural beings, who would have regarded every
attempt at its exploration as an invasion OF their
realm. They spoke of ruined city on its summit,
in which the spirits dwelt. If You laughed at
their foolish legends they would tell you to sec Tor
voureef the castles and the walls, warning You
against rash approach. lest the angry demons
should hurl venpance on your head from then mgh'
impregnabe towers
The Matterhorn is equally imposing from Wha'-
ever side il is seen. IN the impression 1t makes upon
the spectator il stands alone among the mountains
with 10 rival in the Alps and but few IN the world
In some portions there is series OF huge preepces'
spotted with snow slopes and stleaked win sho"
rnllies. In Others there are precipices apparent
but not actual there precipices absolutely per-
peDdicular; there are precipces overhangng; there
are glaciers and there are hanging glaciers; there
are glaciers which tumble enormous fragments over
the cliffs whose debris, subsequently consolidated
becomes glacier again; there are ridges spt by the
frost and washed 10y the rain and melted snow INTO
towers and spires; and everywhere there are cease
less sounds which tell Of the causes that have been
at woIk eince the world began to reduce the mehty
mass to atoms.
Mr.. Whymper with his guide arrived at Brcuil on
Aug. 2S 1861. and at once commenced h's pIepaa-
tions for the ascent.
had seen the mountain from nearly every direction,
and seemed even 10 q novice NE my VS. & I tpS Ss bsh
ms possiuc aud 10 attempt to reach the summit on tne
to acconipany us, but without success Matthias zum
TaugWal aud other weilknoWn guides Neie t tnVte AZ
Tle time but they declined to 20 on any account "A
sturay Old fellov-Peer Taugwalder by name-said ne
% MSn4 10, MA i9 d or NOT - .Yes-Tothng ess.' The
end of the matter was that all the who were more
or or po'1vS1 les refused to 90 GEer dissemination
beingvcry mach ia proportion 10 Their eapac OF es1 &
asked Ironbiiive price. This il may be SAID once iOr
an was The reason that many futile attempts were
%adc mon the Matterhorn One irstrate guide after
smoci was brought up to the mountain and patted On
The ba, bat an declined the business. Tie men VINO
had heart in the matter %nd took '4S % me- @ C
ton OF manto whom reference viii be mace res &
eHuy-uniyCrsally impressed WIN tLe u'IoI 'n"' 'N0
summit was entirely inaccessible. -,
b,Nogsc BEGGED me loan OF a couple OF blankets from
the unkeepcr. lie refused them giving the curious
Val TauihaEche and had not bought any ron ron
h" b. hi. No se S Te dS id not rsiSi leaaire them that
night was passed in the GaSst e3%S&eG SSe GuIa, IN aIe
than is the hotel. The covherds, worthy fellows sldGn
troubled BY tourists, hailed our compSh} Win ;
their test to make uS coiholtdoe orVuSnS lin G
Tie IA little of simple iOod and as We sat WIN
IRE bade ms in husky yolce but with honest intent 10
beware Of penis Of the haunted eis WnSn @ hignI
CaIe and the N0t SSI1f a Won deceive
said, Sou have repenIedt Not ." @ an a ooo Tcrr
Because we ourselves going on the mountain
tan iTrcl ~ "NG for u.s." admired their pluck aud
had strong inclination TO engage tine pair, bar finally
J. j. Clrrei who had been with dr. hawkins, and was
B.iR were bold moGntalneers but Jean-Antoine
noUmparably the better Of the two, ana ne Is the
man WHO persisteuy refused 10 accept defeat aud VINO
continued to believe, in spite OF ali discorragements
it could be the side OF his native valley
cSeo S st except MOio from the deas, any party
oi whom Executed q, ,s sPri'Tr Eloduce oS t
drum OF ear by ono OF their fellows beating win
wspO hay The two Ca5rels crePt nGseiessy OUT @ DC
Is seven o'clock and followed them eisureiy leaving all
IN
Snuqded slopes which intervene between the shed and
the Glacier du LOu lett COWS and their pastures behind
hard beds oi snow lay its right bank (cur LETT hanoi
and mounted over them on 10 the lover portion OF
tic glacier with case But as we ascehNed cieNase Dc
came numerous and were at last brought to halt by
some which Oi very large dimensions; ana as our
cutting powers were limited we sought an easier route
and turned naturally to the lower rocks OF tue Iee du
Lon which overlook the glacier on the west some good
seramUng took us IN snort time ON to the crest OF the
ridge which desceuds toward the SOUTH; ana thence up
the level OF tne Col 0u Lion there was long natural
staircase, which II seldom necessary 70 use tho
hands. We dubbed The pace Tue Great Staircase
Then the cliffs the Itte du Lion, which rise above the
cOulOir sEirtcd This part varies considerably
IL ana in 1851 we found II difficult for
the nne steauy weather OF that year had reduced
sBOW-Deds aDutlius against IT 10 "a lower level
tban usual. ana the rocks which were left
noscd al the junction OF the with the cliffs
had few ledges or cracks 70 which we could
hold But by halfpas ten O'Clock we stood on the col,
md looked down upon the magnificent basin out OF
which the ZAiut glacier lOws. We decided 10 pass the
night upon the COL for were charmed win the cala-
htcs Of the place, although it was one where
liberties could not he taken. On one sac sheer
wall OveThunS the Teienmatten glacief-On the
Glacier du Lion, turrO@ed by "ater ana Dy IIllng
stones the north there was the great peak OF the
MatterhOn and the south the cliffs OF ;he Iee du
Lion. Throw bottle down 10 the HtieinateIl-nO
sound returns for more than dozen seconds
And dng 'ts 70 cast ones eyes 70 ios"
But no harm could that sdc-neithor could
from the other likely that II would from the
Lion, for some juttng ledges conVennty over
hung our posed resting place. We waited for while,
Carres who sometimes seen or heard high above
us upon the ridge leading toward the summit; aud,
leaving at midday. we deseenued 10 tne oOM-sned,
packed up the tent and other properties and returned
To the col although heavily laden, before Fix O'Clock
This tent constructed on pattern suggested Oy Sr
Francis Cation, and not success IL looked very
pretty when set in London bnt II proved thoroughly
useless In tue Alps. 1t made OF light canvas, aud
opened like book; one end was cl6Scd permanently
aud the other with flaps supported by two apen
stocs and bad the sides prolonged so as to turn
IN underneath. Numerous cords were sOwn TO the
lever edgcs 10 which stones 10 be attached. but