The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-11-28

uOWu lulO the Ndlleg uutiA ~ Ao'h9 a. "a
company of giants had been at work
carrying the dirt and rocks down from
the mountains. At the lower end Of the
glaciers, the edges for several hundred
feet from the shore are so covered with
dirt and rocks that it is often difficult to
tell, with any certainty, where the edge
of the ehasm is. As it advances slowly
over the irregularities of the bottom of
the gorge, the glacier is broken up by
creUasses, which generally extend across
it. Many OF these are shallow, while
others are hundreds Of feet deep, and a
stone dropped down one Of them crashes
from side to side until il seems to be lost
in the vast depth, and the sound of the
fall is no longer heard. On the top the
glacier looks like snow ice, and is honey
combed by the action of the sun, but a
little way down it is solid and very blue.
Higher up, the glacier seems whittier and
more firm, and still higher il is of daZ-
zling brilliancy, while there are many
eonsiderable-sized hills Of ice, where two
glacier streams join. With a guide
there is very little danger in crossing
the glacier, as steps are cut in the worst
places, and the iron-pointed Alpenstock
prevents one from slipping. Only 9. few
days before our visit, German profess
sor from Berlin slipped into an opening
and was fatally injured. Crossing, we
Chamber over many rods Of grOund-up
rock, which formed the edge of the
glacier when it was larger and filled up
more Of the gorge, and up the sides Of
the mountain on the opposite side. We
follow this down toward the valley at a
considerable height above the glacier,
and have constantly changing views Of
the frozen pillows and icy walled chasm
below US. In half an hour we came to
what used TO be the terrible Mauvais
Pas, path cut in the almost peTpendie-
ular sides Of tue mountain, but now so
well protected by iron railings that there
is no danger unless one is dizzy when
at great heights. Most of the way the
outer edge Of the path is unprotected,
and il gives one far from pleasant feel
ing to look over the jagged edge, and
see the certain death on the sharp rocks
hundreds Of feet below which await the
poor unfortunate who makes only one
misstep. a little furtheron we come 10
the Chapeau, a small house hidden be-
hind the projecting rocks so as to be
out Of the way Of danger from ava
lanches which sweep down the mountain
sides in winter aud early in spring
This Is situated upon a Treeipilous cliff,
and from il is obtained fine view up
the glacier, and at right angles to this
the whole valley Of Chamouny seems to
be sunk deep down between the mount
aims, while the impetuous little stream m,
the Arve, for little way seems to for
get its haste, and winds lovingly
through the green meadows Of the val
ley. Almost at a glance we have the
lofty, suow-covered mountain tops, the
/ frozen river with its sluggish but power
I ful current, and nearly two thousand
/ feet below US the loveliest Of green val
/ leys, which looks like mighty picture
/ by some giant artist, set in frame of
great mountains. The view from the
/ Chapeau is one Of those which only the
Alps can give, and which will linger
forever in the memory.
Descending a steep path through the
wooded hillside, we soon come to little
hut from which a short excursion can
be made to the end of the glacier and
the ice grotto from which the stream
under it flows. This has been enlarged
by the guides 20 that it can be ascended
some two hundred feet, and here one is
within the very glacier ITSELF As we
had been in the grotto of the Grinden-
wald glacier on our former trip, we had
no curiosity to again enter one of Ma
ture's vast ice-hOuses.
Coming down to the level OF the val
ley, we cross 1t and begin to follow the
winding path which leads up the steer
, mountain on the opposite side. Aftel
three hours Of hard climbing, We hat
reached the little hotel on Mt. Flegere
which is also six thousand feet above
the sea, from which, if we are favored
with clear day, we can see the entir'
Mt. Blanc range and Mt. Blanc itself
with its vast snow fields from base {,
summit. All the morning the create
part Of the mountain tops had been GOV
cred with clouds, but by the time W,
reached the hotel OF Mt. Flegere late il
the afternoon, the clouds had broker
, away, and We had an unObstructed view
of the lofty, snow-white dome Of Mt
Blanc, glittering in the full rays Of th
setting sun. Before US was a view
which the widest flights Of our imagin
alton had never conceived. Within
sight were literally "Alps piled upoi
2 Aims" for we could see at once thirteel
mountain peaks, the lowest Of which
; two miles high, and 10 the midst, reach
ing no in the heavens until we ca
: hardly distinguish IL from the clouds
= towers Mt. Blame, the monarch {
. Furopean mountains, three miles higl
\ These mountains are mostly OF granite
and several of the peaks run up almos
:. as pointed as cathedral spires, so mue
so that they are called needles. w
could almost look down upon the Me
= de Glace opposite Us, and within sigf
y we could count nine great glacier
= which reached down into the vale!