Year: 1870

this mountain, accompanied by guide
After we had luncncd, wandered about,
looking for curiosities, and seeing at a
distance rock with very strange bush
growing upon the top of 1t, L walked
toward IL. Itwas then showing and the
flakes fell faster and faster, until thought
had better return to the guide. l could
not see him, but ran in the direction in
which thought had left him. After
running some distance | stopped and
shoatee, but no reply; bad evidently lost
myWSy snd now the now was coming
| flri6Gtly down, the wind driving il in my
| face apd eyes l ran about, Tor long
| time, quite confused, but could not find
| him, nor hear his voice. / suppose he
must have been doing the same in search
of me, and that we had gone farther and
farther from each other. l hope the poor
fellow has escaped my fate. After blindly
wandering about for considerable lime,
| came near a small building standing
under the lee of large rock. Toward this
| l hastened, and, as l approached it, I
saw dimly through the drifting snow the
| figures ef two men running at full speed
down the mountain Just then there
came noise ofthunder, and, looking up, |
beheld an avalanche tearing down toward
me. In my terror dashed into the hut,
when, with n crash which shook every
beam and partly stove in the roof, the
avalanche passed over it, and | was in
total darkness After recovering from my
first shock, endeavored in every possible
way to get out, but IN vain snow is On
every side and above me, through which
cSn make no progress. Several times |
have been nearly smothered, and now
have given up the attempt, and resigned
myself to my fate. Perhaps when l am
missed, the villagers may come up and
! dig me -out--no, that is hopeless they
| know not where / am. AT all events, |
| hope that, if / die here, can meet death
as . Christian should. l leave no wife
nor family to mourn for me, and am only
sad to think of dying without having &C
complished any great work. Still, let me
see what hope OF life l have, and take an
inventory OF myresouroes. have found
an old lantern, luckily filed with oil, by
the dim lightOf which now write. This
! must use sparingly, for several reasons,
viz: may by the combustion reduce the
| supply of oxygen, which is so precious to
nae here; must not waste my oil l
must not increase my supply of carbonic
acid by the flame. l win, therefore, live
| in the dark, except when | wish to
write. / have found largo Swiss
cheese, the only article Of food in the hut
Can / support life with this? Let. me
sec Caseine chiefly, some slbumen, oily
| particles, "etc.-all digestible. Water /
can get from the snow. Well, l must
make the experiment, and will note my.
symptoms; then, if die, and this record
should ever be found, shall have achieY.
cd something in giving to the profession
the physiological action of cheese as an,
exclusive diet. cannot distinguish night
from day my only method is TO count
the hours by my watch. Happily it is
good one and not likely to stop. Now
will put out my lantern, and make my
bed upon the floor, with my cloak for
coverlet have supped eft the cheese,
and like it.


"NovEMBER ISL have had a good
sleep. II is not cold here, as one would
imagine 1 do not suffer in the least


Neither do suffer for want Of air, as
had expected. 1t must be that the air
permeates between the particles of snow
in sufficient quantity to keep me alive


Made my breakfast Of cheese this morn
ing, and enjoyed 1t. 1t seems to be easily
digested. am getting SO used 70 the
darkness, that l can perceive the outlines
of everything about ice. wonder il
could make tunnel through the snow,
gradually ascending until reach the sur
face That would be digging hole
beginning at the bottom--a feat l have
never yet known TO be accomplished. /
will try it, however, and it will give me
occupation.


'' -Four o'clock, p. M-Have made my
dinner of a large slice of cheese. II is
really "a very good article of diet. Have
been digging my tunnel and carrying the
snow into the house, | commenced at
the door, and proceeded but few feet.
II is a slow process, as my shovel cJn-


s;sts of a piece of bark torn from the wall
of the hut. | mean the tunnel to be
about four feet fqyare; bat how far | can
get with it is a question, as | am puzzled
about the refuse snow. Find | can tread
down good deal of it, so as to reduce the


mass beneath. Must leave off writing
now, as l am suffering from sick head.


ache, probably due to my hearty dinner.


"NovEMBER 3d-This is the fifth day
of my imprisonment. My appetite seems


to be unimpaired on the contrary, rather
increased but am beginning to lose my


digestive powers. l already dislike the
cheese, and suffer good deal from sick


headache and palpitation of the heart.


Ny tunnel is now about fifteen feet in


length, and l have begun to make it
ascend. Find can displaoe the snow be-


meath by striking my feet down forcibly


then fill up the holes with snow from
above 1t is horribly slow work, and the


ascent has to be so gradual that fear l
shall never accomplish it. Still it gives
me exercise and occupation, which re


lieves somewhat this awful lonesome


ness


"SIxTH DAY.-Have just managed to


worry down slice of cheese for break.


fast. Am still hungry, and feel rather


weak. fear my hard work and priva-


tions are beginning to tell upon me.


-Four, p. m-Had to give up work in
the tunnel for to-day, as my strength has


given out. Have only made about four
! feet more in length and one in ascent.


Am getting discoursged. Am still hungry,


although l feel iul of this detestable
cheese. Can feel that l am fast losing


flesh as we'll as strength.


"SEVRNTH DAY.--1'o day, at the risk


Of sufiocating my self with smoke, made


little pile Of chips cut from the walls
and table, lighted them with my flint and
steel, and toasted some cheese. The fire
did not burn very well, and l soon had to
extinguish it but contriVed to toast a
slice. 1t was smoky, and not very pslata-


bic, but still was sort of variety, and 1
could eat it. tits all have eaten to-day,


and am weak, tired, and hungry, to say
nothing of heartburn and headache. Had
| only strength to work about an hour in


the tunnel. If l thought that | was near


the surface, would try to struggle up.
ward and reach it or perish.


"NINTH DAY.--Yesterday made a furi-
} Gus attempts to dig my way upward, cast
ing the snow behind me; but all in vain I;
after an hours strggle l fell back, faint


ing, into the snow beneath, and the result
} is that I have still more to do in clearing
and trampling down the de5Tis. / thought
at one time of lying there until death over.
! took me but the love of life at length
prevailed, and crawled back hero. Am
, resolved not to give up until absolutely
} overcome. The cheese has become loath.
some 10 me was nauseated this morning
when / attempted to eat 1t, Have eaten
. nothing to-day, and but a small piece yes


terdsy. With the darkness, the solitude,
8 bad air, and poor nourishment, | am fast
, wearing away. Could not sleep last night