Year: 1861




The excursion to the Mer dc Glace not be.
ing looked upon us a regular glacier eIpedi-
ton, is not made with the attendant precau-
tions of axes or ropes. We were in high
spirits, and went along at. great rate; so
quickly, indeed, that our guide, who had
fallen behind, cautioned US to allow him to
take, and keep the lead.


Just then our progress was arrested by q
wide crcvasse. Looking to the LETT, i per-
ceiyed that 1t terminated some twenty feet
from us, in steep slope Of ice, which l tho't
I could easily climb. As the crevasse was
about sixty yards long, determined to t'y
this slope rather than 60 round by the other
end. Using my Alpenstock instead Of an
axe, therefore, began making foot-holes in
tho ice with it. The guide had now come
up with us. He looked at the ice-slopc and
the wide crevassc, and said, very seriously,
at is dangerous, let us go round" BY this
time had, with the aid Of my Alpcnstock,
climbed about half way up the slope. had
already come to tho conclusion that 1t was
much too steep to scale without an axe, and
determined to retraco my steps. So, when
the guide had spoken, I carefully stretched
back my right leg, feeling for the last hole
had made in the ice. My foot went past the
place, and felt that was slipping. There
was not the least projection that could grasp.
The slope became perpendicular, and went
head foremost into the yawning crcvasso be-
low.


heard loud cry Of despair from my fell
low traveller and the guide. My own sensa-
tions cannot be described or even separated
distinctly from the whirl and shock. felt
that was being bumped from side to side
between tho two walls Of ice (; that was
falling great depth; that was being hur-
ricd to utter destruction-toa horrible death.
Suddenly fclt that was caught by some-
thing; that hung suspended. was just
able to take breath, and call out for go ropc,
rope"


BY tho most extraordinary chance my fall
had been arrested by little ledge of ice
which spanned the crevasse like bridge
On this frail structure, not moro than two
inches wide at tho top, and (as well as
could judgc) about two feet deep, had fall.
en-, so that my head hung down on one side,
my legs on the other. Instinctiyely and i'm.
mediatcly, by means which l cannot at all
recall, raised myself from this ledge, in
which there was little niche sufficiently
wide to admit ono foot. was so far col.
lectcd that I could hear my fellow.traveler
saying from above, "Wo never expected to
hear your voice again. For Gods sake take
heart. The guide is running to Montanvent
for men and ropes, and will soon bc back
again."


"If he is not" answered, 81 shall never
come up alive"


My position was an awful ono. The little
ledge was 50 narrow that could not get both
feet upon it. l was in fact supporting my
self on one leg, half leaning against one side
Of the crevassc and pressing my head against
tho opposite side. 1t was perfectly smooth,
and there was nothing to grasp. A stream
of water poured over my shoulders, drench.
ing me to the skin. and freezing me with its
icy coldness. Overhead | could See the long
narrow strip of blue sky, bounded by the
mouth Of tho crcvasse. There was terribly
stolid, unrelenting look in the intensely blue
ice that surrounded me on all sides. The
grim walls OF tho crevasse looked Us If they
would unite to crush mo rather than relin.
quish their victim. Numerous rills of wa
ter poured into tho crovasse, but in the whole
sixty yards Of its length could see no pro-
lection except the littlclcdgo l had 50 mirac-
ulously chanced to fall upon.


Iventured to look down, only for an in.
slant, into the fearful chasm in which was
suspended. At the depth to which had
fallen, tho crevasse was barely two feet wide,
but downward it narrowed rapidly, and
about two hundred feet below me the sides
appeared to join. I believe that II had
fallen six inches on either side Of the little
ledge must inevitably have been jammcd
in head downward where no ropes that could
have been brought there could possibly have
reached me.


had now been about twenty minutes
standing in this perilous position, straining
every nervo to prevent myself from giving
way, looking up at the blue sky above me
and the clear leo on all sides, but seldom
daring to cast glance into the abyss below.
Blood was trickling over me from cut in
my cheek, and I felt that my right les was
becoming exceedingly painful from the strain
upon IT,. and was afraid Of losing my bal.
ance il tried to relieve myself by changing
to the other. l felt that was becoming
benunbed by the intense cold Of the ice
against which was leaning, and Of the
stream of water from under which durst
not move.


called to my fellow-traveler to know il
any one were in sight7 There was no an
swcr. I called again. No human being
seeming to be within hearing. A dizziness
camc over me, rs the thought struck me,
he has gone to see If any help is coming,
and cannot find his way hack to tho crcvassc.
There are hundreds Of them. am lost.


Again had to strain every nerve to keep
myself from sinking ] almost gaveup hope;
l felt inclined to throw myself down and
L.. that ullsara llp