Year: 1877

The day was fully established when
we halted for our second breakfast at
the only rocks that are met with above
the Grands Mulets. A great part of the
way from this point to the summit re-
quired steadiness of head. At times
you have to mount the angles of very
steep dretes of snow, feeling that below
you are abysses unfathonable to the
eye, and that right and left there is
nothing nearer than the nearest planet; !;
sometimes you have to travel the more
level ridges of these dretes, with little
more space along the ridge than enough
to set your foot on, and with rapid in
clines on either side going down to you
cannot guess where. These situations,
as is the case, l suppose, with every
kind of danger. calm and steady some
minds, while on others they have the
opposite effect. At all events they keep
out of your mind the thought of time,
and so We were surprised, as we had
been at the advent of day, at finding
that our object was attained, and that
we were standing on the summit of our
continent. 1t was now s 80 A. NJ, and
We had been climbing seven hours and
half. To disengage ourselves from
the rope was our first act. As l stepped
out of the loop a sense of liberty and
relief thrilled through me. My first
thought was of the panorama of the
Alps now spread out beneath me; a
sight i had often thought about, and
should never again behold. The actual
summit is a narrow level-topped snow
rib about 200 yards in length. On its
northern side is rapid snow descent; ;
on its southern some eight or ten feet
below the summit is parallel, almost
level couch of snow, after which is y
a parallel descent which is soon lost to
sight in precipices. / stood for some
time on the summit rib to receive on
my memory the photographs of the
many ranges and groups of the Alpine
world all around. They were SO far
below that the whole scene had the APP
pearance of an embossed map. That
this was the aspect of the Alpine world
brought home TO me the meaning OF be-
ing three miles up in the air. Having
taken not my fill, but as it were, first
deep draught of the grand panorama,
breakfast-it was our third-was an
nounced. On the couch sheltered by
the top-most rib from the current of air
which OIL this morning came up the
north side, my shawl, which porter
had brought up, had been spread for
me on the snow TO lie upon. The sun
shine was delicious. 1t was a subtle
ether pervading with invigorating
warmth my mind as well as my body.
Ny muscles, my bones. my very brain
had an Unsuitable affinity for it. Its
absorption, aided by the other adjuncts
of the situation, constituted for the time
their summum bdnun, leaving nothing
10 be desired, or that could be thought
of, as wanting or better. No thought
ing rarified air, any more than about
the cold annually felt at these heights,
occurred to me during the day; in fact,
these matters were never at all in my
mind, till in the evening, on my re-
turn to Chamouni, 1 was asked how |
managed with respect to them. As TO
my clothing, | did not wear on the
summit, nor at any time during the
night or day, anything more than !
wore throughout the whole excursion.
My outer garb was suit of light and
rather flimsy cheyiot, and my inner of
rather fine merino. These on so calm
and sunny a day l found amply sufii-
cient. In ascending, and again de-
scending, changed both sack and
boots at the Grands Mulets.-Frdser's
Magazine.