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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/32823-8.txt b/32823-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..edc2008 --- /dev/null +++ b/32823-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1350 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Narrative of a Journey to the Summit of +Mont Blanc, by William Howard + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Narrative of a Journey to the Summit of Mont Blanc + +Author: William Howard + +Release Date: June 15, 2010 [EBook #32823] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MONT BLANC *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY + TO THE + SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC. + + + [Illustration: _Passing a crevice in the_ Glacier _of_ Boissons] + + + + + NARRATIVE + OF + A JOURNEY + TO THE + Summit of Mont Blanc, + + MADE IN JULY, 1819. + + _BY WM. HOWARD, M. D._ + + + "Mont Blanc is the monarch of mountains, + They crown'd him long ago, + On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, + With a diadem of snow." + + + BALTIMORE: + PUBLISHED BY FIELDING LUCAS, JR. + J. Robinson, printer. + 1821. + + + + + The account of the following journey was written a few days + after its execution, while the author was confined to his + chamber by the inconveniences he had suffered, and it was then + penned for the gratification of his immediate friends, and + without any view to publication. The partiality of friends, + however, having permitted it, during his absence, to appear + in the Analectic Magazine, for May 1820, it excited more + attention than he could have anticipated, which has induced + the author to correct the errors arising from haste and other + sources, and to republish it in the present form. + + _Baltimore, April, 1821._ + + + + + NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE + SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC. + + + ----------------- "Above me are the Alps + The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls + Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps, + And thron'd Eternity in icy halls + Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls + The avalanche--the thunderbolt of snow, + All that expands the spirit, yet appals, + Gather around these summits, as to show + How earth may pierce to Heaven, yet leave vain man below." + + BYRON. + + + + +NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY, &c. + + + Geneva, July, 1819. + +You, my dear friend, who are well acquainted from my infancy with my +clambering disposition, which, within these few months, has carried me +to the top of both Vesuvius and Ætna, will not be much surprised to +learn, that I have attempted, with success, to mount to the summit of +Mont Blanc; an aerial journey which the sight of this mountain has +inspired many persons with a wish to accomplish; but in which few have +engaged, and still fewer have succeeded. I am somewhat afraid that you +will condemn the expedition as a wild one, and will justly consider +the gratification of our curiosity, which was, unfortunately, the only +object we attained, as an inadequate recompense for our toil and +danger; but you have no cause to fear my embarking in similar +adventures in future. Having reached a spot, undoubtedly the highest +in Europe, and, with the exception of the Himalaya mountains in India, +the highest in the Old World, my curiosity is completely gratified, +and there is scarcely any possibility of my meeting with an enterprise +of this nature, of sufficient magnitude to renew its excitement: since +five of the loftiest of the Alleghanies piled on each other, would +scarcely reach to the height I have attained. To give you a correct +idea of the nature of our undertaking, I will begin with a concise +account of this king of the Alps, and of the various attempts that +have been made to reach its summit. + +Mont Blanc is situated amidst some of the highest mountains of Savoy, +forming a part of the great chain of the Alps, above which, however, +it raises far its snowy head, as with a dignified air of conscious +triumph. It is this white head, which its elevation renders doubly +bright, that gives its name. On the north side of the mountain, and +immediately at its foot, is the valley of Chamouny, which is sixteen +leagues south from Geneva, and is much frequented in the summer season +by the inhabitants of that city, and strangers, who throng to this +enchanted vale, to enjoy the coolness of the air, and to view its +stupendous glaciers, several of which are formed by the snow and ice +gliding down from Mont Blanc itself. On the south-east side is the +valley of Entrèves, which separates Mont Blanc both from the great and +the little St. Bernard, and through which runs a small river, whose +waters join the Po, below Turin, while the Arva, which flows through +Chamouny, joins the Rhone, near Geneva. These rivers finally discharge +themselves into the sea, at the distance of several hundred miles from +each other; the one into the Mediterranean, near Marseilles, and the +other into the Adriatic, near Venice. The chain of Alps, of which Mont +Blanc forms a part, runs from N. E. to S. W. and is partly surmounted +in its neighbourhood, by sharp pointed rocks, whose sides are too +steep for the snow to rest upon, and of which seven, rising abruptly +to a great height, have the appropriate name of the "Needles of +Chamouny." + +The height of Mont Blanc, according to the observations of Saussure, +is 14,790 French feet above the level of the sea,[A] which is only +5800 less than that of Chimborazo, the summit of which has been never +reached: on the other hand, its relative height above the surrounding +country is greater; for Mont Blanc is 11,500 above the valley of +Chamouny, while Chimborazo, according to Humboldt, is only 11,200 +above the plain of Tapia, at its foot. It is calculated that, from +this height, the eye could reach sixty-eight leagues, or about 170 of +our miles, without being intercepted by the convexity of the earth. +Mont Blanc is seen from Lyons in all its magnificence; from the +mountains of Burgundy, from Dijon, and even from Langrès, sixty-five +leagues distant in a straight line: M. Saussure thought he recognised +the mountain of Cavme, near Toulon. + + [A] About 15,500 English feet, or something less than three + miles. + +In 1760 and 61, Saussure, the celebrated philosopher of Geneva, then +engaged in examining the natural history of the Alps, promised a +considerable reward to any person who should succeed in finding a +practicable path to the summit, offering even to pay for the lost +time of those who made ineffectual efforts. The first who undertook +this, was Pierre Simon, a hunter of Chamouny, in 1762: but he was +unsuccessful. In 1775, four men of the same village endeavoured for +the same object, and with as ill success, to follow the ridge of the +Montagne de la Côte, which runs parallel to the Glacier of Boissons. +In 1783, three others followed the same track, but were attacked by an +increasing disposition to sleep, from which they could only relieve +themselves by returning. M. Bouritt, of Geneva, made two ineffectual +attempts the same year, and the following year another, accompanied by +Saussure, his own son, and fifteen guides. + +In June 1786, six men of the valley of Chamouny, renewed the effort to +reach the summit, but fatigue and cold forced them to renounce it; one +of them, however, Jacques Balmat, separating from his companions to +search for crystals, and having lost himself, was prevented by a storm +from rejoining them, and compelled to pass the night on the snow, +unprovided and alone; youth, however, and the vigour of his +constitution, saved his life. In the morning he perceived the top at +no great distance, and having the whole day before him to provide for +his descent, he examined leisurely the approaches to it, and observed +one, that appeared more accessible than any he had hitherto seen. At +his return to Chamouny, he was taken ill, in consequence of his great +exposure, and was attended by Dr. Paccard, the physician of the +village, to whom he communicated his discovery, and offered, in +gratitude for his care, to guide him to the summit of Mont Blanc. + +In consequence of this, Jacques Balmat and Dr. Paccard, set out from +Chamouny the 7th of August, the same year, and slept on the top of the +Montagne de la Côte. The next day they experienced great difficulties +and excessive fatigue, and were long doubtful of the ultimate event of +their enterprise; but finally, at half past 6, P. M. they reached the +pinnacle of the mountain, in sight of many visitors, who were at +Chamouny, watching their progress with telescopes. The cold was so +intense, that provision was frozen in their pockets, the ink congealed +in their ink horns, and the mercury in Farenheit's thermometer, sunk +to eighteen and a half degrees. They remained about half an hour on +the top, regained at midnight the Montagne de la Côte, and after two +hours repose, set out for Chamouny, where they arrived at eight in the +morning, with their lips swollen, their faces excoriated, and their +eyes much inflamed; and it was some time before they recovered from +these disagreeable effects. + +As soon as the intelligence of this success reached Saussure at +Geneva, he determined on making a similar attempt: which he in fact +did the same year, but was compelled by unfavourable weather to +return. He was, however, not discouraged, but as the season was now +far advanced, he postponed his operations until the ensuing summer. +Accordingly, on the 1st of August, 1787, he again set out from +Chamouny, accompanied by his servant, and eighteen guides, carrying a +tent, a bed, ladders, cords, provisions, and philosophical +instruments. + +The party arrived early the same day at the Montagne de la Côte, where +they passed the night. The next day, notwithstanding an increase of +dangers and difficulties, they passed under the Dome de Gouté, and +reached a platform, or small plain, at the height of 11,790 feet +above the sea, where they pitched their tent in the snow, and passed +the night. The following morning, (August 3d) the snow was so hard, +and the ascent so steep, that they were compelled to cut their +footsteps with a hatchet, and it was only by proceeding with the +greatest caution, that they were enabled to pass this dangerous +acclivity with safety. They, however, persevered, and reached the +summit about an hour before noon, in view of many persons who were +observing them from Chamouny. M. Saussure turned his eyes to the house +where his mother and sisters were watching his progress with a +telescope, and had the satisfaction of seeing the waving of a flag, +which was the signal they had agreed to make, as soon as they should +be assured of his safety. The latter part of his ascent was the +slowest and most fatiguing, owing to the difficulty of breathing, +occasioned by the rarity of the air: the stoutest of his guides could +not take more than thirty steps, without stopping to take breath. No +one had the least appetite, but all were much tormented by thirst. The +guides pitched the tent, in which M. Saussure remained four hours, +making a number of observations. At half after three, the party began +to descend, and slept lower 1100 feet than the preceding night. The +next day they arrived, without any accident, at Chamouny. + +This successful expedition of Saussure, and the interesting account he +published of it, inspired many persons with a wish of accomplishing +the same task; but they were generally soon deterred by an examination +into the difficulties attending its execution, and returned satisfied +with a view from the vallies below, of the terrific glaciers, and +everlasting snows, which defend the approaches to the summit. The +following are the principal attempts that have since been made, and it +will be perceived that of these few, only a part have succeeded. + +On the 8th of August, 1787, five days after M. Saussure's return, +Col. Beaufoy, an Englishman, set out from Chamouny for Mont Blanc, +accompanied by ten guides. He reached the top the following day, and +returned the third day to the village, with his face and eyes so +inflamed, that he nearly lost his sight in consequence. As he was not +properly provided with instruments, he was unable to add much to the +observations which had been made by Saussure. He, however, determined +the latitude of the summit to be 45°, 49´, 59´´. + +The year following these two journeys, (1788,) Mr. Bouritt, of Geneva, +in company with his son, two other gentleman, and a number of guides, +attempted the ascent of Mont Blanc. The party was dispersed by a +storm, and only Mr. Bouritt, his son, and three guides, succeeded in +reaching the top, where the violence of the cold compelled them to +abridge their stay to a few minutes. While there, Mr. Bouritt thought +he perceived the sea in the direction of Genoa; but the immense +distance rendered the objects at the horizon, too indistinct to be +certain of it. The whole party returned to Chamouny in a terrible +condition. One of Mr. Bouritt's companions, who had lost himself, +suffered dreadfully, as well as the guides who were with him, and +returned with his feet and hands frozen, while some of the company, +who were more fortunate, had only their fingers and ears in the same +condition. Mr. Bouritt was obliged to wash for thirteen days in ice +water, to restore the use of his limbs, which had suffered from the +extreme cold. + +In 1792, four Englishmen undertook the same journey, but were +prevented, by an accident, from proceeding farther than the Montagne +de la Côte, where, unfortunately, one of the guides had his leg +broken, and another his skull driven in: they themselves were all more +or less wounded. A false step of one of the foremost of the party upon +a loose rock, which brought it and a number of others down upon his +companions, was the cause of this accident. + +M. Forneret, of Lausanne, and M. d'Ortern set out on the 10th of +August, 1802, with seven guides, for Mont Blanc, and notwithstanding a +storm, reached the summit the following day. They remained there only +twenty minutes, and returned on the 12th to Chamouny, protesting that +nothing in the world could tempt them to undertake again the same +expedition. + +In August, 1808, Jacques Balmat, surnamed Mont Blanc, from his having +been the first to discover the way to the summit, safely conducted +thither fifteen of the inhabitants of Chamouny, one of whom was a +_woman_. + +About this time also he returned with two of his companions, and +placed on the top an obelisk of wood, twelve feet in height, (which +they had brought up in pieces) to serve in the trigonometrical survey, +that was then making of the country. + +In 1812, M. Rodasse, a banker of Hamburgh, undertook and accomplished +the same journey, without any accident. + +The 16th of September, 1816, the Comte de Lucy, a Frenchman, +succeeded, notwithstanding the severity of the cold he experienced, in +attaining a rock only 600 feet lower than the summit of Mont Blanc. He +was there, however, so entirely overcome with cold and fatigue, that +he was unable to proceed this short distance, and compelled, with much +reluctance, to return. On reaching the valley he was unable to walk, +but was carried by his guides to the inn, where his feet proved to be +so much frozen, that on drawing his boot, the skin peeled off and +remained in it. Two of his guides were also severely frozen. + +Count Malzeski, a Pole, left Chamouny the 5th of August, 1818, for +Mont Blanc, accompanied by eleven guides, reached the summit the +following day, and returned, in safety, the third, without suffering +much more inconvenience than having his nose frozen. + +During our visit to Chamouny, in the beginning of this month, my +friend Dr. Van Rensselaer and myself, in our various excursions to the +glaciers, and other scenes of the valley, had frequently opportunities +of conversing with the guides, who had participated in these journeys, +and among them with old Balmat, the Columbus of Mont Blanc. The result +was, that our curiosity was strongly excited, and being induced by +their representations of the almost certainty of succeeding in the +present favourable weather, we finally determined, after much +deliberation, to make the attempt. We therefore engaged _Marie +Coutet_, an experienced guide, who had been three times on the summit, +as leader, and eight other guides to accompany us. They refused to +undertake the journey with a smaller party, on account of the number +of articles which it was necessary to take with us, as a ladder, +cords, provisions, charcoal to melt the snow for drinking, and a +number of other things, which were indispensable, and which formed a +sufficient quantity to load each of the nine with a considerable +burthen. One day was occupied in making preparations, on which our +comfort and our ultimate success depended. These were passed in review +in the evening, and having found that nothing material was omitted, an +early hour the next day was appointed for our departure. + +Accordingly, on Sunday the 11th of July, we left the village of +Chamouny, at five o'clock, full of anxiety ourselves, and accompanied +by the good wishes of the honest inhabitants for our success. The +necessity of taking advantage of the fine weather, opposed our +delaying another day. Our guides, who in common with all the +inhabitants of the mountainous parts of Savoy, are very attentive to +the duties of their religion, were unwilling to set out on a church +day, without having previously attended service. They had, therefore, +induced the Curé to celebrate mass at three o'clock, and, +notwithstanding the fatigue they expected during the day, the early +hour had not prevented them from attending it. + +We descended the valley by the side of the Arva, about a league, till +we approached the glacier of Boissons, and then turning suddenly to +the left into the woods, we began immediately a very steep ascent, +parallel to, and about a half mile from the edge of the glacier. After +about three hours toilsome mounting, we came to the last house on our +road. It was the highest dwelling in the neighbourhood, and was one of +those cottages called "Chalets," which are inhabited only during three +of the summer months, when the peasants drive their cattle from the +plains below, to the then richer verdure of the mountains. We found +there the old man and his two daughters; his wife, as is the custom, +was left behind to take care of the house in the valley. After +refreshing ourselves with a delicious draught of fresh milk, and +receiving the wishes of these good people, for a 'bon voyage,' we bade +adieu to all traces of man, and continued to mount. Another hour's +toil brought us above the region of wood, after which the few stinted +vegetables we met with, gradually diminished in size, and when we +arrived, at 10 o'clock, at the upper edge of the glacier of Boissons, +only a few mosses, and the most hardy alpine plants were to be found. + +We had been compelled a little before, by the precipices of the +Aiguille du Midi, which presented themselves like a wall before us, to +change our direction, and instead of proceeding parallel to the +glacier, to strike off suddenly towards it. We had now a close view of +some of the obstacles which bar the approach to Mont Blanc; the +glacier of Boissons, on which we were about to enter, seemed to me +absolutely impassable. The only relief to the white snow and ice +before us, was an occasional rock, thrusting its sharp point above +their surface, and too steep to permit the snow to lodge on it. One of +these rocks, or rather a chain of them, called the 'Grand Mulet,' +which we had destined for our resting place for the night, was before +us, but far above our heads at the distance of four or five miles; the +glacier, however, still intervened, and appeared to defy all attempts +to approach it. + +The glacier of Boissons, like all the glaciers of the Alps, is an +immense mass of ice filling a valley which stretches down the mountain +side, and is formed by the accumulated snow and ice, which are +constantly in the summer months, falling from above. While the +glaciers are thus continually increasing on the surface, the internal +heat of the earth is slowly melting them below. Hence, when they are +large, there generally proceeds from under them a considerable stream: +such are the sources of the Rhine and of the Rhone. Their surface, +often resembles that of a violent agitated sea, suddenly congealed. +They are frequently of several leagues in breadth, and from 100 to 600 +feet in depth. The snow which falls on them, to the depth of several +feet every winter, is softened by the sun's rays in summer--and +freezing again at the return of cold weather, but in a more solid +state, forms a successive layer every year. This stratum may be easily +measured, (as each of them is distinctly separated from its neighbour +by a dark line,) at the section made by those cracks, which traverse +every glacier in all directions. These cracks or crevices, are +generally thought to be caused by the irregular sinking of part of the +mass, whose support below has been gradually melted away. They are +formed suddenly, and frequently with a noise that may be heard at the +distance of several miles, and with a shock that makes the +neighbouring country tremble: this effect takes place principally +in summer. These rents are from a few inches to 20, 30, or even +50 or 60 feet in breadth, and generally of immense depth: probably +extending to the bottom of the glacier. They present the greatest +danger and difficulty to the passenger. They are often concealed by a +layer of snow, which gives no indication on its surface, of its +want of solidity; and it often happens that the chamois hunter, +notwithstanding all his caution, suddenly sinks through this +treacherous veil into the chasm beneath. + +We remained a couple of hours at our resting place, to take some +refreshment, and to regain strength for our next difficult task. +Jacques Balmat accompanied us this far, to point out the best means of +attaining that spot on which he was the first to set foot; but the +infirmities of age prevented him from accompanying us farther. Our +feet seemed to linger, and to leave with reluctance the last ground +they were to touch until the period of our return. + +We however entered on the glacier with confidence in the skill and +prudence of our guides; several of whom being hunters, and accustomed +to chase the chamois over such places, were acquainted with all the +precautions, that it was necessary to take for our safety. To avoid +the danger of falling into the crevices, especially those masked by +the snow, we connected ourselves, three persons together, at the +distance of 10 or 12 feet apart, by a cord round the body: so that in +case of one of the three falling into a chasm, the other two could at +least support him, until assistance could be procured from the rest of +the party. + +Each person was provided with a pole, 6 feet long, and pointed at the +bottom with iron, which we found to be a necessary article. Where the +crevices were not more than two or three feet broad, we leaped over +them with the assistance of our staff; others we passed on natural +bridges of snow, that threatened every moment to sink with us into the +abyss, and over others, we made a bridge of the ladder, which was +extremely slight, as otherwise it would have been impossible for a man +to carry it up the steeps we had ascended. Without its assistance, we +could not have passed the glacier. Over this slender support we +crawled with caution, suspended over a chasm, into which we could see +to an immense depth; but of which in no instance could we see the +bottom. We were sometimes forced to pass on a narrow ridge of +treacherous ice, not more than a foot in breadth, with one of these +terrific chasms on either side. The firm step, with which we saw our +guides pass these difficulties, inspired us with confidence: but I +cannot even now think of some of the situations we were placed in, +without a feeling of dread; and especially when in bed, and in the +silence of the night, they present themselves to my imagination, I +involuntarily shrink with horror at the idea, and am astonished in +recollecting what little sensation I felt at the moment. + +We threw down into some of the narrow cracks, pieces of ice and +fragments of rock, and heard for a considerable time, the more and +more distant sound, as they bounded from side to side. In no instance +could we perceive the stone strike the bottom; but the sound, instead +of ceasing suddenly, as would then have been the case, grew fainter +and fainter, until it was too feeble to be heard. What then must be +the immense depth of these openings, when in these silent regions, the +noise of a large stone striking the bottom is too distant to be heard +at the orifice! + +The number of openings we met with, which were broader than the length +of our ladder, and which, of course, we had no means of crossing, +rendered our path extremely circuitous. We were often enabled, by the +ladder's assistance, to scale high and perpendicular banks of snow. It +sometimes proved too short to reach to the top; but where the steep +was not absolutely perpendicular, we contrived in several instances to +remedy this inconvenience. One of the guides, standing on the top of +the ladder, enabled the rest, who clambered up by his assistance, and +over his shoulders, to reach the summit; when there, we easily drew up +him and the ladder with cords. + +We were occasionally compelled to retrace our steps, and we were +frequently so involved in the intricacies of the glacier, that we had +to remain without proceeding, a considerable time, until the guides, +who were dispersed in every direction on the discovery, could find a +practical path to extricate us. + +In addition to these difficulties, I had not been long on the glacier, +before I perceived that my faithless boot had given way; which, as +every thing depended upon the state of our feet, was a serious +misfortune. Necessity, however, is the mother of invention, and I +contrived to bind it with cords in such a manner, that it served me +tolerably well the rest of the journey. + +In consequence of all these obstacles, we only arrived at 5 o'clock at +the "Grand Mulet," not more than four or five miles distant, in a +straight line from the point where we entered on the glacier; but, +from the circuitous route we had taken, we could not have walked less, +in this distance, than 14 or 15 miles. We were now 11,000 feet above +the level of the sea, and 8,000 feet above the village of Chamouny. A +niche on the steep side, and near the top of the rock, about a hundred +and fifty feet from its base, and to which we had much difficulty in +climbing, was selected for our lodging place; indeed it was the only +part of the rock, that afforded any thing like a level place. We were +fortunate in finding the day had been so warm, that there was water +in some of the crevices of the ice, which circumstance enabled us to +economize our charcoal. The sun shone very bright on our side of the +rock; but as soon as it sunk below the horizon, the eternal frost +around us regained its influence, and the air became very cold. We +had, however, time to dry our boots and pantaloons, and I found a pair +of large woolen stockings, that I had with me, an invaluable article. +Our guides stretched the ladder from one point of the rock to another, +and, throwing over it a couple of sheets they had brought for the +purpose, formed a kind of tent, just large enough for Dr. Van +Rensselaer and myself to creep in: a single blanket upon the rock was +our bed. The guides were so loaded with indispensable articles, that +we had not been able to bring a blanket, or even an extra coat to +cover us. + +After a cold and uncomfortable supper, we crept into our den, soon +after the genial sun had left us, and endeavoured, by every means our +ingenuity could suggest, but ineffectually, to keep ourselves warm. We +suffered much from the cold, but principally towards morning, as the +thermometer was several degrees below freezing. The night seemed to +last at least twenty hours; at one time I thought the day must +certainly be not distant, and was surprised, at looking at my watch by +the light of the moon, to find it only 11 o'clock. Tired of inaction, +and shivering with the cold, I crawled out about midnight to endeavour +to warm myself, by the exercise of clambering on the rock. The view +around was sublime, and rendered me for a time insensible to all +feelings of personal suffering. + +The sky was very clear, but perfectly black; the moon and stars, whose +rays were not obscured by passing through the lower dense region of +the atmosphere, as when seen from the surface of the earth, shone with +a brilliancy, tenfold of what I had ever observed from below; and the +comet, with its bright tail, formed in the north-west, a beautiful +object. Nothing was to be seen around the rock on which we were +placed, but white snow and some heavy clouds, that, floating below us, +shut out the valley from our view. The guides appeared to be all +asleep, and the only interruption to the silence of death, was the +occasional avalanche, rolling with the sound of distant thunder from +the highest part of the surrounding glaciers, and heightening the +feelings of awful sublimity, which our situation was so calculated to +inspire. + +As our lodging was extremely uncomfortable in every respect, we were +under no temptation of lying till a late hour in the morning. On the +contrary, we hailed with joy the first appearance of the dawn, which +enabled us to substitute the warmth of marching, for the cold +inactivity from which we had suffered all night. We set out at three +o'clock, leaving most of our provisions and other articles on the +rock. Four hours of laborious, but not dangerous walking, brought us +to a large plain, called the 'Grand Plateau,' which is nearly +surrounded, (on the one hand) by a spur of Mont Blanc, and the +Aiguille du Midi; on the other, by the Montagne de la Côte, while Mont +Blanc presents itself directly in front. These mountains form a steep +amphitheatre around this plain. Here we stopped an hour to breakfast, +and to recruit strength for the last and most difficult part of the +ascent. We were now more than 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, +and only 3,000 feet lower than the summit, which was in full view +before us. But I looked around, in vain, for any part of its steep +sides that seemed to offer a possibility of being scaled, and when the +guides pointed out the route we were to take, among and over +precipices, and huge broken masses of snow, and up almost +perpendicular steeps, I involuntarily shrunk at the prospect, and +could not forbear casting my eye wistfully at our road back. But it +would not have done to be deterred at this time by a few difficulties; +and a moment's reflection, on the skill and experience of our guides, +renewed our confidence, and we began cheerfully to mount the first +steep before us. We here began to feel more seriously an effect, that +is always experienced at considerable heights, and which had not much +incommoded us before. It was impossible for the strongest of us, to +take more than twenty or thirty steps, without stopping to take +breath, and this effect gradually increased as we continued to ascend; +insomuch, that when near the summit, even the stoutest of our guides, +who could run for leagues over the lower mountains without panting, +could not take more than twelve, or at most fifteen steps, without +being ready to sink for want of breath. If we attempted to exceed this +number by even three or four steps, a horrible oppression, as of +approaching death, seized us; our limbs became excessively painful, +and threatened to sink under us. It is very possible, that Walter +Scot's hero, + + Up Ben Lomond's side could press, + And not a sob his toil confess; + +but I am very certain he could not perform the same feat on Mont +Blanc. It is remarkable, that a few seconds rest was sufficient to +restore both our strength and breath. One of our guides, a robust man, +who had been once on the summit, was so much incommoded, that we were +compelled to leave him behind to await our return. I experienced some +inconvenience from a slight degree of nausea and head-ache, of which +most of those, who have made this journey have complained. When +ascending Ætna, two months before, I had been seriously affected both +by a difficulty of breathing, and by a violent thumping of the heart +and arteries, which was loud enough to be easily heard by my +companions, and which the slightest exertion was sufficient to +excite. In the present instance I dreaded these effects, and had +already begun to feel them in an uncomfortable degree; but was almost +entirely relieved by drinking plentifully of vinegar and water, with +which our guides, to whom experience had taught its utility, had taken +care to be well provided. This drink was extremely agreeable to us; +wine on the contrary, disgusted us. All the water we had, we had +brought from the rock at which we slept, where we had carefully +collected it from the cracks of the ice: for we were now in the region +of eternal ice, where rain never falls, and where the utmost power of +the midsummer sun can only soften, in a slight degree, the surface of +the snow. + +The acclivity we were now ascending, was steeper than any we had +before encountered, so much so that we could only accomplish it by a +zigzag path, advancing not more than a few feet every 20 or 30 yards +we walked. To have an idea of our situation, you must imagine us +marching in single file on the steep mountain side, placing with the +greatest care our feet in the steps, which the hardness of the snow +rendered it necessary for our leader to cut with an axe, supporting +ourselves with our poles against the upper side of the slope, and +having on the other side, the same rapid slope terminating below in a +precipice several hundred feet in height, over which we saw rapidly +hurried all the small pieces of ice, that we loosened with our feet. +Our situation was similar to that of a person scaling the steep and +iced roof of a lofty house, and constantly liable, by an incautious +step, to be suddenly precipitated over the eaves. After we had been +proceeding in this manner for some time, I looked down on the Plateau +beneath, for the guide we had left, and when at last I discerned him, +like a speck on the snow, my head began to grow dizzy at the idea of +the distance below me, and I was forced to keep my head averted from +this side, to recover from this disagreeable feeling. + +Our guides had attached themselves and us with cords, each three +persons together, as when passing the glacier. They were provided with +large iron cramps fastened to their feet, which prevented them from +slipping. Doctor Van Ranselaer and myself had found this contrivance +impede too much our walking, and after a short trial had given it up, +so that we had to rely on the firmness of foot of those guides to whom +we were tied, to preserve us in case of our falling. I am not entirely +convinced, that if one of us had had the misfortune to fall, and were +slipping down the declivity, he would not have drawn his two +companions, in spite of these precautions, over the precipice. To add +to our difficulties, the sun was excessively bright, and almost +blinded us, notwithstanding the gauze veils with which we were all +provided. + +Fortunately, we met with but few crevices; however, on passing one of +these that was hid by the snow, I suddenly sunk, but my body being +thrown forward by this motion, my breast opposed a larger surface to +the snow which thus supported me, and I was easily extricated by a +guide. On looking back through the hole I had broken, I could perceive +the black cavity beneath. + +At one period, our path necessarily led us close under a wall of snow, +more than 150 feet high, from the top of which projected several large +masses of snow, that appeared to require only a touch to bring them +down on our heads. Our captain pointed out our danger, and enjoined +us to pass as quickly as possible, and to observe the strictest +silence. When we looked up at these + + -------- Toppling crags of ice, + The avalanches, whom a breath draws down + In mountainous o'erwhelming, + +we felt no disposition to disobey his directions, but passed on with +hurried step, and in the stillness of death. The inhabitants of those +parts of the Alps, exposed to these avalanches, assert that the +concussion of the air, produced by the voice, is often sufficient to +loosen, and bring down their immense masses. Hence the muleteer is +often seen to take the bells from his animals, when he passes through +a valley subject to this danger. A few years since some young men, +relying on the solidity of the ice, and wishing to try the echo, were +so imprudent as to discharge a pistol in a large cave which is at the +lower edge of the glacier des Bois, near Chamouny. The shock brought +down the roof, which crushed them on the spot. + +At 11 o'clock we had passed most of the difficulties, and all the +dangers of our ascent, and reached a granite rock, which appears or +nipple, which forms the summit of Mont Blanc. This rock is only 1000 +feet lower than the summit. Here we enjoyed a full view of the valley +and village of Chamouny, which had hitherto been masked by the +'Aiguille du Midi;' and when we recollected the promises of our +friends there, to watch our progress with their glasses, and were +convinced that they were at that moment observing us, we felt relieved +from the sensation which we had previously experienced, of being shut +out from the world. In fact, we learned afterwards, that they had seen +us distinctly, counted our number, and observed that one of the party +was missing: this was the guide we had left at the 'plateau.' + +Our final object was now close at hand. We turned, with renewed ardor, +to accomplish it; continuing our zigzag path, till, after much +suffering from fatigue, cold, and shortness of breath, we stood, at +half an hour after noon, on the highest point of Europe! + +Our first impulse, on arriving, was to enjoy the pleasure of throwing +our eyes around, without encountering any obstacle. The world was at +our feet. The sensations I felt were rather those of awe, than of +sublimity. It seemed that I no longer trod on this globe, but that I +was removed to some higher planet, from which I could look down on a +scene which I had lately inhabited, and where I had left behind me the +passions, the sufferings, and the vices of men. The houses of +Chamouny, appeared like dwellings of ants, and the river which flows +through the valley, seemed not sufficient to drown one of these pigmy +animals. These emotions made me for some time insensible to the cold, +but the piercing wind, which here had free scope, soon put an end to +my waking dream, and bringing me back to the reality of life, enabled +me to fix my attention on the objects around. + +Notwithstanding the pleasure inspired by the view, it was certainly +more terrific than beautiful. The distant objects appeared as if +covered by a veil. To the north-west was the chain of Jura, with a +mist hanging on its whole extent, which prevented the eye from +penetrating into France, in that direction. On the north was the lake +of Geneva; of a black colour, and surrounded by mountains, which we +had thought high, while we were on its banks, but which now appeared +insignificant, and the lake itself seemed scarcely capacious enough to +bathe in. To the east were the only mountains that appeared of a +considerable size; among which, the most conspicuous were the Jungfrau +and Schreckhorn in Grindelwalden, and Monte Rosa, on the borders of +Piedmont, which raises its hoary and magnificent head to within a few +hundred feet of the level of Mont Blanc. The grand St. Bernard was at +our feet, to the south east, scarcely appearing to rise to more than a +mole hill's height above the adjoining vallies. The obstacles which +Bonaparte had to encounter in leading his army over this mountain, +even in winter, appeared so diminished in our eyes, that this vaunted +undertaking lost, at the moment, in our estimation, much of its +heroism and grandeur. + +The view below and immediately around, presented a shapeless +collection of craggy points, among which the 'Needles' were easily +distinguished. We could hardly trust our senses, when we saw, beneath +our feet, those rocks which, from below, appear higher than Mont Blanc +itself, and which seem to penetrate into the region of the stars, and +to threaten to 'disturb the moon in passing by.' Our view may be +compared with that from the top of an elevated steeple over an +extensive city, of which, except in the immediate neighbourhood, the +roof only of the various buildings which compose it, are to be seen. +The only green that we could perceive, was the narrow valley of +Chamouny, and the two vallies by the side of St. Bernard. The portion +of the earth that was not covered with snow, appeared of a gloomy and +dark grey colour. The world presented an image of chaos, and offered +but little to tempt our return to it. + +The top of Mont Blanc is a ridge of perhaps 150 feet in length, and +six or eight in breadth. It is entirely composed of snow, which is +probably of immense depth, and is constantly accumulating. We could +see no traces of the obelisk, 12 feet in height, which had been set up +about ten years before. One of our guides was of the number of those +who placed it, and designated to us its position. The highest rock +which appears above the snow, is a small one of granite, 600 feet +below the summit. We remained but a few minutes immediately on the +top, as the wind blew hard and piercingly cold. Descending a few feet +on the south side, we were partially sheltered from the wind, and here +the sun shone with an excessive brightness, heating every part of the +body exposed to his rays; but the least breath of wind, which reached +us at intervals, was sufficient to make us shiver with cold. +Farenheit's thermometer in the sun, was two degrees below freezing, +and five and a half in the shade. It must be considered, however, that +we suffered a much greater degree of cold than the thermometer +indicated, from the rapid evaporation from the surface of our bodies, +of the insensible transpiration occasioned by the dryness and great +rarity of the surrounding air. This cause, familiar to physiologists, +affected our sensations, and could not influence the thermometer. Most +of our guides stretched themselves on the snow in the sun, and yielded +to the strong inclination to sleep, which we all felt. Only one or two +of them ate: the others, on the contrary, evinced an aversion to all +kinds of food. We did not suffer the great thirst which Saussure and +his party experienced; This we prevented by drinking vinegar and +water, which was very grateful to us, instead of pure water. Our +pulses were increased in frequency and fulness, and we had all the +symptoms of fever. I occupied myself, notwithstanding the +indisposition to action which I felt, in making a few observations, +and in stopping and sealing very carefully a bottle which I had filled +with the air of the summit, intended for examination on my return. + +The colour of the sky had gradually assumed a deeper tint of blue as +we ascended: its present colour was dark indigo, approaching nearly to +black. There was something awful in this appearance, so different from +any we had ever witnessed. There was nothing to which we could compare +it, except to the sun shining at midnight. During some of the first +attempts that were made to ascend Mont Blanc, this appearance produced +so strong an effect on the minds of the guides, who imagined that +Heaven was frowning on their undertaking, that they refused to +proceed. The portion of atmosphere above us was entirely free from the +vapours which the lower strata always contain, and was truly the 'pure +empyreal,' seldom seen by mortal eyes. We had all our life beheld the +sun through a mist, but we now saw him, face to face, in all his +splendour. The guides asserted that the stars can be seen, in full +day, by a person placed in the shade. It being near noon, and the sun +almost over our heads, we could not find shadow to enable us to make +the experiment. + +The air on the top of Mont Blanc is of but little more than half the +density of that at the surface of the ocean. According to the +observations of Saussure, the height of the barometer on the summit, +was sixteen and a half inches, while that of a corresponding one at +Geneva, was twenty-eight inches. In consequence of this rarity of the +air, a pistol, heavily charged, which we fired several times, made +scarcely more noise than the crack of a postillion's whip. + +We remained an hour and a quarter on the summit, part of which time +was spent in useless regrets at not having waited to provide ourselves +with instruments, as we were now so admirably situated to make with +them a series of interesting experiments. Those which had suggested +themselves, were principally concerning the absorption and radiation +of caloric, and on the degree of cold produced by the evaporation of +æther and other liquids. We found the descent more easy and much less +fatiguing, though perhaps more dangerous than the ascent, on account +of the greater risk of slipping. We passed under the place where the +avalanche threatened us, with even more caution and more rapidity than +before, as we found that a small piece had actually fallen, and +covered our path since we had passed by. We arrived in about an hour +at the 'Grand Plateau,' where we stopped to refresh ourselves, and +gratify our returning appetites. We found the guide whom we had left, +quite relieved. Here the sun, reflected from the walls of snow which +surrounded us on three sides, poured down upon us with the most +burning heat that I ever experienced from its rays, while our feet, +cold from being immersed in the snow, prevented perspiration, and thus +increased its power. Wherever its rays could penetrate, as between the +cap and neckcloth, or even to the hands, it resembled the application +of a heated iron. We were compelled, in addition to the assistance of +our veils, to keep our eyes half closed, and even then the light was +too powerful for them. + +We however continued with ease and cheerfulness our descent, until an +unexpected difficulty occurred. Where in the morning we had cut our +footsteps with an axe, we now found the snow so much softened by the +sun, that we sunk in it every third or fourth step, to the middle of +the body. My friend and myself were more subject to this inconvenience +than the guides, on account of the soles of our boots presenting a +less surface to the snow, than those of their large shoes. After +plunging on in this manner for some time, I began to despair of +reaching our rock, which was yet four or five miles distant: but there +was no alternative but to proceed. We therefore kept on, though with +excessive fatigue. We frequently fell forward, and one limb being +tightly engaged in the snow, was violently twisted, and constantly +liable to be sprained; which in our situation would have been a +serious misfortune. The crevices too were, from their edges having +become softened, more dangerous than before. Perseverance and caution, +however, triumphed over all these difficulties, and we reached the +'Grand Mulet,' half an hour after five, our boots, stockings, and +pantaloons completely soaked. These were immediately stretched on the +rock to dry, which the heat of the sun soon effected. I had the +disappointment to find, on examining my pockets, that the bottle which +I had so carefully filled with the air of the summit, had been broken +in one of my frequent falls, and of course my hopes of making with it +some interesting experiments, were now destroyed. The thermometer was +also broken. + +Notwithstanding the Herculean labour of the day, and the fatigue we +experienced at the time, we had not been long on our rock before we +felt strong and invigorated, as if just risen from a comfortable +night's repose. This effect of the mountain air has often been +remarked. We had even sufficient strength, and ample time to enable us +to continue our descent with ease to Chamouny; but in the present +softened state of the snow it would have been madness to attempt to +cross the glacier, which we had found difficult and dangerous the +preceding day, even before the sun's rays had affected it. In fact, +while two of the guides were looking down on our path over the +glacier, they saw a bridge of snow which we all crossed the day +before, suddenly sink into the chasm beneath. + +Imprisoned thus by the glacier, which was now all that intervened +betwixt us and terra firma, we quietly resolved to remain where we +were, and made the same arrangements for passing the night, as we had +done the evening before. We were, however, at present better off: I +mentioned that we had been so fortunate as to find a sufficient supply +of water in the neighbourhood of our rock, in consequence of which +most of the charcoal, we had brought to melt the snow, remained. With +this we made a small fire at our feet, and by blowing almost +constantly, kept it up during the night. It has been often observed, +that as we ascend in the atmosphere, the difficulty of maintaining +combustion, is proportionably increased. The cold was notwithstanding +our fire, so great, that whenever I fell asleep, I was awakened in a +few minutes to shiver and chatter my teeth. Our guides slept in the +open air, huddled as close together as possible. + +July 13th.--The dawning of the day was truly welcome, as it promised a +near termination to our toils and suffering, while the gratification +of having accomplished a difficult and interesting object remained as +a recompense. We left our hard bed without reluctance, and were +impatient at the slowness with which the guides made their +preparations in packing up their numerous articles. We began to +descend as the sun illumined the white top of Mont Blanc, but long +before his beams penetrated below. Above our heads the sky was +perfectly clear, while the vallies beneath, and all except a few of +the highest surrounding mountains, were concealed by a sea of clouds. +The appearance of the clouds when seen from above is singular; they +resemble immense floating masses of light carded cotton. We retraced +our path of the first day, and took the same precaution as then of +tying ourselves together. When the sun's rays began to shine on the +snow around us, I found that my eyes were so much inflamed, I could +scarcely bear them sufficiently open to see the path; notwithstanding +the gauze veil I had constantly used, my face was in a terrible +condition: the outer skin had fallen, rendering my chin and lips one +continued sore. Doctor Van Rensselaer's eyes were in a worse condition +than mine, and his face nearly as bad. + +At one part of the glacier where the snow had been so hard at our +passing, that our feet left no impression, we lost our path, which was +a misfortune, as we had chosen a much better path in ascending, than +we could have done in descending. We however fell in with the track of +two chamois, which our guides followed with confidence, relying on the +instinct, which they attribute to these animals, of finding a +practicable path over the most difficult glaciers. When we had at last +past the glacier, our feet seemed to rejoice at once more touching +firm ground; and we felt as if returning to the world from a distant +voyage. The rest of our task offered no difficulty, being a constant +descent down the rocky mountain side, except what was occasioned by +our almost total blindness, and the pain we suffered in our eyes. It +was however very fatiguing, as the descent from a mountain is +generally more so than the ascent to it. We stopped at the same +Chalet, where two days before we had bid adieu to the world; and were +regaled by the old man and his daughters with another delicious +draught of milk and cream. We reached the village soon after ten +o'clock in the morning, having been absent fifty-three hours, during +forty-five of which we were on the ice. We were received with many +congratulations by the honest villagers, who had taken considerable +interest in our success. + +As soon as my companion and myself reached our inn, we buried +ourselves in our chamber, to enjoy the luxury of a bed, and of +darkness, which was necessary for our eyes. It was not until the sun +had set, and the twilight was not too strong for them, that we +ventured out to regale ourselves with a comfortable meal. Two English +visitors, who had watched with a glass our progress on the top of Mont +Blanc, had expressed a determination to follow our example; but our +account of the difficulties we met with, and still more the view of +the condition we were in, soon induced them to abandon the design. We +walked out at the approach of night under the "Needles," and as we saw +these rocks, on whose sides + + -------- the clouds + Pause to repose themselves in passing by, + +and on whose tops the stars seemed to rest, we could scarcely realize +the idea that they were the same we had seen only thirty hours before, +far below our feet. + +The next day after our return to Chamouny, our eyes had become so much +stronger, that we were enabled, without much inconvenience, to proceed +to Geneva, where we have since remained to recover from our +sufferings. Though now more than a week has elapsed, my face is yet +much inflamed; but my eyes have regained their usual strength. Dr. Van +Rensselaer has suffered in the same manner, but on the whole rather +less than myself. Wherever the sun's rays could penetrate, even behind +the ears to the level of the neckcloth, the skin has fallen off, and I +have exchanged the tawny hue of an Italian and Sicilian sun, for the +fair complexion of a German or Englishman. We have purchased perhaps +too dearly the indulgence of our curiosity; but at present, when the +difficulties are passed, and the gratification remains, I cannot +regret our hardships, especially if I succeed in making you partake of +the one, without suffering from the other. + + +THE END. + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES + + +1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_. + +2. The following misprints have been corrected: + "Bourrit" corrected to "Bouritt" (page 12) + "representa-ons" corrected to "representations" (page 15) + "breath" corrected to "breadth" (page 20) + "visiters" corrected to "visitors" (page 47) + +3. Other than the corrections listed above, printer's inconsistencies +in spelling and punctuation usage have been retained. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Narrative of a Journey to the Summit +of Mont Blanc, by William Howard + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MONT BLANC *** + +***** This file should be named 32823-8.txt or 32823-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/8/2/32823/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Narrative of a Journey to the Summit of Mont Blanc + +Author: William Howard + +Release Date: June 15, 2010 [EBook #32823] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MONT BLANC *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<h2><big>NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY</big><br /> +<small>TO THE</small><br /> +SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC.</h2> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 448px;"> +<img src="images/i004th.jpg" width="448" height="290" alt="Glacier of Boissons" title="Glacier of Boissons" /> +<span class="link"><a href="images/i004.jpg"><b><i>Passing a crevice in the</i> Glacier <i>of</i> Boissons</b></a></span> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h3>NARRATIVE</h3> +<h5>OF</h5> +<h2>A JOURNEY</h2> +<h5>TO THE</h5> +<h1>Summit of Mont Blanc,</h1> +<h4>MADE IN JULY, 1819.</h4> +<h3><i>BY WM. HOWARD, M. D.</i></h3> + +<div class="poem"><p> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">"Mont Blanc is the monarch of mountains,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 11em;">They crown'd him long ago,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 11em;">With a diadem of snow."</span><br /> +</p></div> + +<h4>BALTIMORE:<br /> +PUBLISHED BY FIELDING LUCAS, JR.<br /> +<small>J. Robinson, printer.</small><br /> +1821.</h4> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p>The account of the following journey was +written a few days after its execution, while +the author was confined to his chamber by +the inconveniences he had suffered, and it +was then penned for the gratification of his +immediate friends, and without any view to +publication. The partiality of friends, however, +having permitted it, during his absence, +to appear in the Analectic Magazine, for +May 1820, it excited more attention than he +could have anticipated, which has induced the +author to correct the errors arising from +haste and other sources, and to republish it +in the present form.</p> + +<p> <i>Baltimore, April, 1821.</i></p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h1>NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE<br /> +SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC.</h1> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="poem"><p> +—————————— "Above me are the Alps<br /> +The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls<br /> +Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps,<br /> +And thron'd Eternity in icy halls<br /> +Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls<br /> +The avalanche—the thunderbolt of snow,<br /> +All that expands the spirit, yet appals,<br /> +Gather around these summits, as to show<br /> +How earth may pierce to Heaven, yet leave vain man below."<br /> +</p></div> + +<p style='text-align:right'><span class="smcap">Byron.</span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY, &c.</h2> + +<p style='text-align:right'>Geneva, July, 1819.</p> + +<p>You, my dear friend, who are well acquainted from my infancy with my +clambering disposition, which, within these few months, has carried me +to the top of both Vesuvius and Ætna, will not be much surprised to +learn, that I have attempted, with success, to mount to the summit of +Mont Blanc; an aerial journey which the sight of this mountain has +inspired many persons with a wish to accomplish; but in which few have +engaged, and still fewer have succeeded. I am somewhat afraid that you +will condemn the expedition as a wild one, and will justly consider +the gratification of our curiosity, which was, unfortunately, the only +object we attained, as an inadequate recompense for our toil and +danger; but you have no cause to fear my embarking in similar +adventures in future. Having reached a spot, undoubtedly the highest +in Europe, and, with the exception of the Himalaya mountains in India, +the highest in the Old World, my curiosity is completely gratified, +and there is scarcely any possibility of my meeting with an enterprise +of this nature, of sufficient magnitude to renew its excitement: since +five of the loftiest of the Alleghanies piled on each other, would +scarcely reach to the height I have attained. To give you a correct +idea of the nature of our undertaking, I will begin with a concise +account of this king of the Alps, and of the various attempts that +have been made to reach its summit.</p> + +<p>Mont Blanc is situated amidst some of the highest mountains of Savoy, +forming a part of the great chain of the Alps, above which, however, +it raises far its snowy head, as with a dignified air of conscious +triumph. It is this white head, which its elevation renders doubly +bright, that gives its name. On the north side of the mountain, and +immediately at its foot, is the valley of Chamouny, which is sixteen +leagues south from Geneva, and is much frequented in the summer season +by the inhabitants of that city, and strangers, who throng to this +enchanted vale, to enjoy the coolness of the air, and to view its +stupendous glaciers, several of which are formed by the snow and ice +gliding down from Mont Blanc itself. On the south-east side is the +valley of Entrèves, which separates Mont Blanc both from the great and +the little St. Bernard, and through which runs a small river, whose +waters join the Po, below Turin, while the Arva, which flows through +Chamouny, joins the Rhone, near Geneva. These rivers finally discharge +themselves into the sea, at the distance of several hundred miles from +each other; the one into the Mediterranean, near Marseilles, and the +other into the Adriatic, near Venice. The chain of Alps, of which Mont +Blanc forms a part, runs from N. E. to S. W. and is partly surmounted +in its neighbourhood, by sharp pointed rocks, whose sides are too +steep for the snow to rest upon, and of which seven, rising abruptly +to a great height, have the appropriate name of the "Needles of +Chamouny."</p> + +<p>The height of Mont Blanc, according to the observations +of Saussure, is 14,790 French feet above the level of the +sea,<a name="FNanchorA" id="FNanchorA"></a><a href="#FootnoteA" class="fnanchor">[A]</a> +which is only 5800 less than that of Chimborazo, the summit of which +has been never reached: on the other hand, its relative height above +the surrounding country is greater; for Mont Blanc is 11,500 above the +valley of Chamouny, while Chimborazo, according to Humboldt, is only +11,200 above the plain of Tapia, at its foot. It is calculated that, +from this height, the eye could reach sixty-eight leagues, or about +170 of our miles, without being intercepted by the convexity of the +earth. Mont Blanc is seen from Lyons in all its magnificence; from the +mountains of Burgundy, from Dijon, and even from Langrès, +sixty-five leagues distant in a straight line: M. Saussure thought he +recognised the mountain of Cavme, near Toulon.</p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="FootnoteA" id="FootnoteA"></a><a href="#FNanchorA"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> +About 15,500 English feet, or something less than three miles.</p></div> + +<p>In 1760 and 61, Saussure, the celebrated philosopher of Geneva, then +engaged in examining the natural history of the Alps, promised a +considerable reward to any person who should succeed in finding a +practicable path to the summit, offering even to pay for the lost +time of those who made ineffectual efforts. The first who undertook +this, was Pierre Simon, a hunter of Chamouny, in 1762: but he was +unsuccessful. In 1775, four men of the same village endeavoured for +the same object, and with as ill success, to follow the ridge of the +Montagne de la Côte, which runs parallel to the Glacier of Boissons. +In 1783, three others followed the same track, but were attacked by an +increasing disposition to sleep, from which they could only relieve +themselves by returning. M. Bouritt, of Geneva, made two ineffectual +attempts the same year, and the following year another, accompanied by +Saussure, his own son, and fifteen guides.</p> + +<p>In June 1786, six men of the valley of Chamouny, renewed the effort to +reach the summit, but fatigue and cold forced them to renounce it; one +of them, however, Jacques Balmat, separating from his companions to +search for crystals, and having lost himself, was prevented by a storm +from rejoining them, and compelled to pass the night on the snow, +unprovided and alone; youth, however, and the vigour of his +constitution, saved his life. In the morning he perceived the top at +no great distance, and having the whole day before him to provide for +his descent, he examined leisurely the approaches to it, and observed +one, that appeared more accessible than any he had hitherto seen. At +his return to Chamouny, he was taken ill, in consequence of his great +exposure, and was attended by Dr. Paccard, the physician of the +village, to whom he communicated his discovery, and offered, in +gratitude for his care, to guide him to the summit of Mont Blanc.</p> + +<p>In consequence of this, Jacques Balmat and Dr. Paccard, set out from +Chamouny the 7th of August, the same year, and slept on the top of the +Montagne de la Côte. The next day they experienced great difficulties +and excessive fatigue, and were long doubtful of the ultimate event of +their enterprise; but finally, at half past 6, P. M. they reached the +pinnacle of the mountain, in sight of many visitors, who were at +Chamouny, watching their progress with telescopes. The cold was so +intense, that provision was frozen in their pockets, the ink congealed +in their ink horns, and the mercury in Farenheit's thermometer, sunk +to eighteen and a half degrees. They remained about half an hour on +the top, regained at midnight the Montagne de la Côte, and after two +hours repose, set out for Chamouny, where they arrived at eight in the +morning, with their lips swollen, their faces excoriated, and their +eyes much inflamed; and it was some time before they recovered from +these disagreeable effects.</p> + +<p>As soon as the intelligence of this success reached Saussure at +Geneva, he determined on making a similar attempt: which he in fact +did the same year, but was compelled by unfavourable weather to +return. He was, however, not discouraged, but as the season was now +far advanced, he postponed his operations until the ensuing summer. +Accordingly, on the 1st of August, 1787, he again set out from +Chamouny, accompanied by his servant, and eighteen guides, carrying a +tent, a bed, ladders, cords, provisions, and philosophical +instruments.</p> + +<p>The party arrived early the same day at the Montagne de la Côte, where +they passed the night. The next day, notwithstanding an increase of +dangers and difficulties, they passed under the Dome de Gouté, and +reached a platform, or small plain, at the height of 11,790 feet +above the sea, where they pitched their tent in the snow, and passed +the night. The following morning, (August 3d) the snow was so hard, +and the ascent so steep, that they were compelled to cut their +footsteps with a hatchet, and it was only by proceeding with the +greatest caution, that they were enabled to pass this dangerous +acclivity with safety. They, however, persevered, and reached the +summit about an hour before noon, in view of many persons who were +observing them from Chamouny. M. Saussure turned his eyes to the house +where his mother and sisters were watching his progress with a +telescope, and had the satisfaction of seeing the waving of a flag, +which was the signal they had agreed to make, as soon as they should +be assured of his safety. The latter part of his ascent was the +slowest and most fatiguing, owing to the difficulty of breathing, +occasioned by the rarity of the air: the stoutest of his guides could +not take more than thirty steps, without stopping to take breath. No +one had the least appetite, but all were much tormented by thirst. The +guides pitched the tent, in which M. Saussure remained four hours, +making a number of observations. At half after three, the party began +to descend, and slept lower 1100 feet than the preceding night. The +next day they arrived, without any accident, at Chamouny.</p> + +<p>This successful expedition of Saussure, and the interesting account he +published of it, inspired many persons with a wish of accomplishing +the same task; but they were generally soon deterred by an examination +into the difficulties attending its execution, and returned satisfied +with a view from the vallies below, of the terrific glaciers, and +everlasting snows, which defend the approaches to the summit. The +following are the principal attempts that have since been made, and it +will be perceived that of these few, only a part have succeeded.</p> + +<p>On the 8th of August, 1787, five days after M. Saussure's return, +Col. Beaufoy, an Englishman, set out from Chamouny for Mont Blanc, +accompanied by ten guides. He reached the top the following day, and +returned the third day to the village, with his face and eyes so +inflamed, that he nearly lost his sight in consequence. As he was not +properly provided with instruments, he was unable to add much to the +observations which had been made by Saussure. He, however, determined +the latitude of the summit to be 45°, 49´, 59´´.</p> + +<p>The year following these two journeys, (1788,) Mr. Bouritt, of Geneva, +in company with his son, two other gentleman, and a number of guides, +attempted the ascent of Mont Blanc. The party was dispersed by a +storm, and only Mr. Bouritt, his son, and three guides, succeeded in +reaching the top, where the violence of the cold compelled them to +abridge their stay to a few minutes. While there, Mr. Bouritt thought +he perceived the sea in the direction of Genoa; but the immense +distance rendered the objects at the horizon, too indistinct to be +certain of it. The whole party returned to Chamouny in a terrible +condition. One of Mr. Bouritt's companions, who had lost himself, +suffered dreadfully, as well as the guides who were with him, and +returned with his feet and hands frozen, while some of the company, +who were more fortunate, had only their fingers and ears in the same +condition. Mr. Bouritt was obliged to wash for thirteen days in ice +water, to restore the use of his limbs, which had suffered from the +extreme cold.</p> + +<p>In 1792, four Englishmen undertook the same journey, but were +prevented, by an accident, from proceeding farther than the Montagne +de la Côte, where, unfortunately, one of the guides had his leg +broken, and another his skull driven in: they themselves were all more +or less wounded. A false step of one of the foremost of the party upon +a loose rock, which brought it and a number of others down upon his +companions, was the cause of this accident.</p> + +<p>M. Forneret, of Lausanne, and M. d'Ortern set out on the 10th of +August, 1802, with seven guides, for Mont Blanc, and notwithstanding a +storm, reached the summit the following day. They remained there only +twenty minutes, and returned on the 12th to Chamouny, protesting that +nothing in the world could tempt them to undertake again the same +expedition.</p> + +<p>In August, 1808, Jacques Balmat, surnamed Mont Blanc, from his having +been the first to discover the way to the summit, safely conducted +thither fifteen of the inhabitants of Chamouny, one of whom was a +<i>woman</i>.</p> + +<p>About this time also he returned with two of his companions, and +placed on the top an obelisk of wood, twelve feet in height, (which +they had brought up in pieces) to serve in the trigonometrical survey, +that was then making of the country.</p> + +<p>In 1812, M. Rodasse, a banker of Hamburgh, undertook and accomplished +the same journey, without any accident.</p> + +<p>The 16th of September, 1816, the Comte de Lucy, a Frenchman, +succeeded, notwithstanding the severity of the cold he experienced, in +attaining a rock only 600 feet lower than the summit of Mont Blanc. He +was there, however, so entirely overcome with cold and fatigue, that +he was unable to proceed this short distance, and compelled, with much +reluctance, to return. On reaching the valley he was unable to walk, +but was carried by his guides to the inn, where his feet proved to be +so much frozen, that on drawing his boot, the skin peeled off and +remained in it. Two of his guides were also severely frozen.</p> + +<p>Count Malzeski, a Pole, left Chamouny the 5th of August, 1818, for +Mont Blanc, accompanied by eleven guides, reached the summit the +following day, and returned, in safety, the third, without suffering +much more inconvenience than having his nose frozen.</p> + +<p>During our visit to Chamouny, in the beginning of this month, my +friend Dr. Van Rensselaer and myself, in our various excursions to the +glaciers, and other scenes of the valley, had frequently opportunities +of conversing with the guides, who had participated in these journeys, +and among them with old Balmat, the Columbus of Mont Blanc. The result +was, that our curiosity was strongly excited, and being induced by +their representations of the almost certainty of succeeding in the +present favourable weather, we finally determined, after much +deliberation, to make the attempt. We therefore engaged <i>Marie +Coutet</i>, an experienced guide, who had been three times on the summit, +as leader, and eight other guides to accompany us. They refused to +undertake the journey with a smaller party, on account of the number +of articles which it was necessary to take with us, as a ladder, +cords, provisions, charcoal to melt the snow for drinking, and a +number of other things, which were indispensable, and which formed a +sufficient quantity to load each of the nine with a considerable +burthen. One day was occupied in making preparations, on which our +comfort and our ultimate success depended. These were passed in review +in the evening, and having found that nothing material was omitted, an +early hour the next day was appointed for our departure.</p> + +<p>Accordingly, on Sunday the 11th of July, we left the village of +Chamouny, at five o'clock, full of anxiety ourselves, and accompanied +by the good wishes of the honest inhabitants for our success. The +necessity of taking advantage of the fine weather, opposed our +delaying another day. Our guides, who in common with all the +inhabitants of the mountainous parts of Savoy, are very attentive to +the duties of their religion, were unwilling to set out on a church +day, without having previously attended service. They had, therefore, +induced the Curé to celebrate mass at three o'clock, and, +notwithstanding the fatigue they expected during the day, the early +hour had not prevented them from attending it.</p> + +<p>We descended the valley by the side of the Arva, about a league, till +we approached the glacier of Boissons, and then turning suddenly to +the left into the woods, we began immediately a very steep ascent, +parallel to, and about a half mile from the edge of the glacier. After +about three hours toilsome mounting, we came to the last house on our +road. It was the highest dwelling in the neighbourhood, and was one of +those cottages called "Chalets," which are inhabited only during three +of the summer months, when the peasants drive their cattle from the +plains below, to the then richer verdure of the mountains. We found +there the old man and his two daughters; his wife, as is the custom, +was left behind to take care of the house in the valley. After +refreshing ourselves with a delicious draught of fresh milk, and +receiving the wishes of these good people, for a 'bon voyage,' we bade +adieu to all traces of man, and continued to mount. Another hour's +toil brought us above the region of wood, after which the few stinted +vegetables we met with, gradually diminished in size, and when we +arrived, at 10 o'clock, at the upper edge of the glacier of Boissons, +only a few mosses, and the most hardy alpine plants were to be found.</p> + +<p>We had been compelled a little before, by the precipices of the +Aiguille du Midi, which presented themselves like a wall before us, to +change our direction, and instead of proceeding parallel to the +glacier, to strike off suddenly towards it. We had now a close view of +some of the obstacles which bar the approach to Mont Blanc; the +glacier of Boissons, on which we were about to enter, seemed to me +absolutely impassable. The only relief to the white snow and ice +before us, was an occasional rock, thrusting its sharp point above +their surface, and too steep to permit the snow to lodge on it. One of +these rocks, or rather a chain of them, called the 'Grand Mulet,' +which we had destined for our resting place for the night, was before +us, but far above our heads at the distance of four or five miles; the +glacier, however, still intervened, and appeared to defy all attempts +to approach it.</p> + +<p>The glacier of Boissons, like all the glaciers of the Alps, is an +immense mass of ice filling a valley which stretches down the mountain +side, and is formed by the accumulated snow and ice, which are +constantly in the summer months, falling from above. While the +glaciers are thus continually increasing on the surface, the internal +heat of the earth is slowly melting them below. Hence, when they are +large, there generally proceeds from under them a considerable stream: +such are the sources of the Rhine and of the Rhone. Their surface, +often resembles that of a violent agitated sea, suddenly congealed. +They are frequently of several leagues in breadth, and from 100 to 600 +feet in depth. The snow which falls on them, to the depth of several +feet every winter, is softened by the sun's rays in summer—and +freezing again at the return of cold weather, but in a more solid +state, forms a successive layer every year. This stratum may be easily +measured, (as each of them is distinctly separated from its neighbour +by a dark line,) at the section made by those cracks, which traverse +every glacier in all directions. These cracks or crevices, are +generally thought to be caused by the irregular sinking of part of the +mass, whose support below has been gradually melted away. They are +formed suddenly, and frequently with a noise that may be heard at the +distance of several miles, and with a shock that makes the +neighbouring country tremble: this effect takes place principally +in summer. These rents are from a few inches to 20, 30, or even +50 or 60 feet in breadth, and generally of immense depth: probably +extending to the bottom of the glacier. They present the greatest +danger and difficulty to the passenger. They are often concealed by a +layer of snow, which gives no indication on its surface, of its +want of solidity; and it often happens that the chamois hunter, +notwithstanding all his caution, suddenly sinks through this +treacherous veil into the chasm beneath.</p> + +<p>We remained a couple of hours at our resting place, to take some +refreshment, and to regain strength for our next difficult task. +Jacques Balmat accompanied us this far, to point out the best means of +attaining that spot on which he was the first to set foot; but the +infirmities of age prevented him from accompanying us farther. Our +feet seemed to linger, and to leave with reluctance the last ground +they were to touch until the period of our return.</p> + +<p>We however entered on the glacier with confidence in the skill and +prudence of our guides; several of whom being hunters, and accustomed +to chase the chamois over such places, were acquainted with all the +precautions, that it was necessary to take for our safety. To avoid +the danger of falling into the crevices, especially those masked by +the snow, we connected ourselves, three persons together, at the +distance of 10 or 12 feet apart, by a cord round the body: so that in +case of one of the three falling into a chasm, the other two could at +least support him, until assistance could be procured from the rest of +the party.</p> + +<p>Each person was provided with a pole, 6 feet long, and pointed at the +bottom with iron, which we found to be a necessary article. Where the +crevices were not more than two or three feet broad, we leaped over +them with the assistance of our staff; others we passed on natural +bridges of snow, that threatened every moment to sink with us into the +abyss, and over others, we made a bridge of the ladder, which was +extremely slight, as otherwise it would have been impossible for a man +to carry it up the steeps we had ascended. Without its assistance, we +could not have passed the glacier. Over this slender support we +crawled with caution, suspended over a chasm, into which we could see +to an immense depth; but of which in no instance could we see the +bottom. We were sometimes forced to pass on a narrow ridge of +treacherous ice, not more than a foot in breadth, with one of these +terrific chasms on either side. The firm step, with which we saw our +guides pass these difficulties, inspired us with confidence: but I +cannot even now think of some of the situations we were placed in, +without a feeling of dread; and especially when in bed, and in the +silence of the night, they present themselves to my imagination, I +involuntarily shrink with horror at the idea, and am astonished in +recollecting what little sensation I felt at the moment.</p> + +<p>We threw down into some of the narrow cracks, pieces of ice and +fragments of rock, and heard for a considerable time, the more and +more distant sound, as they bounded from side to side. In no instance +could we perceive the stone strike the bottom; but the sound, instead +of ceasing suddenly, as would then have been the case, grew fainter +and fainter, until it was too feeble to be heard. What then must be +the immense depth of these openings, when in these silent regions, the +noise of a large stone striking the bottom is too distant to be heard +at the orifice!</p> + +<p>The number of openings we met with, which were broader than the length +of our ladder, and which, of course, we had no means of crossing, +rendered our path extremely circuitous. We were often enabled, by the +ladder's assistance, to scale high and perpendicular banks of snow. It +sometimes proved too short to reach to the top; but where the steep +was not absolutely perpendicular, we contrived in several instances to +remedy this inconvenience. One of the guides, standing on the top of +the ladder, enabled the rest, who clambered up by his assistance, and +over his shoulders, to reach the summit; when there, we easily drew up +him and the ladder with cords.</p> + +<p>We were occasionally compelled to retrace our steps, and we were +frequently so involved in the intricacies of the glacier, that we had +to remain without proceeding, a considerable time, until the guides, +who were dispersed in every direction on the discovery, could find a +practical path to extricate us.</p> + +<p>In addition to these difficulties, I had not been long on the glacier, +before I perceived that my faithless boot had given way; which, as +every thing depended upon the state of our feet, was a serious +misfortune. Necessity, however, is the mother of invention, and I +contrived to bind it with cords in such a manner, that it served me +tolerably well the rest of the journey.</p> + +<p>In consequence of all these obstacles, we only arrived at 5 o'clock at +the "Grand Mulet," not more than four or five miles distant, in a +straight line from the point where we entered on the glacier; but, +from the circuitous route we had taken, we could not have walked less, +in this distance, than 14 or 15 miles. We were now 11,000 feet above +the level of the sea, and 8,000 feet above the village of Chamouny. A +niche on the steep side, and near the top of the rock, about a hundred +and fifty feet from its base, and to which we had much difficulty in +climbing, was selected for our lodging place; indeed it was the only +part of the rock, that afforded any thing like a level place. We were +fortunate in finding the day had been so warm, that there was water +in some of the crevices of the ice, which circumstance enabled us to +economize our charcoal. The sun shone very bright on our side of the +rock; but as soon as it sunk below the horizon, the eternal frost +around us regained its influence, and the air became very cold. We +had, however, time to dry our boots and pantaloons, and I found a pair +of large woolen stockings, that I had with me, an invaluable article. +Our guides stretched the ladder from one point of the rock to another, +and, throwing over it a couple of sheets they had brought for the +purpose, formed a kind of tent, just large enough for Dr. Van +Rensselaer and myself to creep in: a single blanket upon the rock was +our bed. The guides were so loaded with indispensable articles, that +we had not been able to bring a blanket, or even an extra coat to +cover us.</p> + +<p>After a cold and uncomfortable supper, we crept into our den, soon +after the genial sun had left us, and endeavoured, by every means our +ingenuity could suggest, but ineffectually, to keep ourselves warm. We +suffered much from the cold, but principally towards morning, as the +thermometer was several degrees below freezing. The night seemed to +last at least twenty hours; at one time I thought the day must +certainly be not distant, and was surprised, at looking at my watch by +the light of the moon, to find it only 11 o'clock. Tired of inaction, +and shivering with the cold, I crawled out about midnight to endeavour +to warm myself, by the exercise of clambering on the rock. The view +around was sublime, and rendered me for a time insensible to all +feelings of personal suffering.</p> + +<p>The sky was very clear, but perfectly black; the moon and stars, whose +rays were not obscured by passing through the lower dense region of +the atmosphere, as when seen from the surface of the earth, shone with +a brilliancy, tenfold of what I had ever observed from below; and the +comet, with its bright tail, formed in the north-west, a beautiful +object. Nothing was to be seen around the rock on which we were +placed, but white snow and some heavy clouds, that, floating below us, +shut out the valley from our view. The guides appeared to be all +asleep, and the only interruption to the silence of death, was the +occasional avalanche, rolling with the sound of distant thunder from +the highest part of the surrounding glaciers, and heightening the +feelings of awful sublimity, which our situation was so calculated to +inspire.</p> + +<p>As our lodging was extremely uncomfortable in every respect, we were +under no temptation of lying till a late hour in the morning. On the +contrary, we hailed with joy the first appearance of the dawn, which +enabled us to substitute the warmth of marching, for the cold +inactivity from which we had suffered all night. We set out at three +o'clock, leaving most of our provisions and other articles on the +rock. Four hours of laborious, but not dangerous walking, brought us +to a large plain, called the 'Grand Plateau,' which is nearly +surrounded, (on the one hand) by a spur of Mont Blanc, and the +Aiguille du Midi; on the other, by the Montagne de la Côte, while Mont +Blanc presents itself directly in front. These mountains form a steep +amphitheatre around this plain. Here we stopped an hour to breakfast, +and to recruit strength for the last and most difficult part of the +ascent. We were now more than 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, +and only 3,000 feet lower than the summit, which was in full view +before us. But I looked around, in vain, for any part of its steep +sides that seemed to offer a possibility of being scaled, and when the +guides pointed out the route we were to take, among and over +precipices, and huge broken masses of snow, and up almost +perpendicular steeps, I involuntarily shrunk at the prospect, and +could not forbear casting my eye wistfully at our road back. But it +would not have done to be deterred at this time by a few difficulties; +and a moment's reflection, on the skill and experience of our guides, +renewed our confidence, and we began cheerfully to mount the first +steep before us. We here began to feel more seriously an effect, that +is always experienced at considerable heights, and which had not much +incommoded us before. It was impossible for the strongest of us, to +take more than twenty or thirty steps, without stopping to take +breath, and this effect gradually increased as we continued to ascend; +insomuch, that when near the summit, even the stoutest of our guides, +who could run for leagues over the lower mountains without panting, +could not take more than twelve, or at most fifteen steps, without +being ready to sink for want of breath. If we attempted to exceed this +number by even three or four steps, a horrible oppression, as of +approaching death, seized us; our limbs became excessively painful, +and threatened to sink under us. It is very possible, that Walter +Scot's hero,</p> + +<div class="poem"><p> +Up Ben Lomond's side could press,<br /> +And not a sob his toil confess;<br /> +</p></div> + +<p>but I am very certain he could not perform the same feat on Mont +Blanc. It is remarkable, that a few seconds rest was sufficient to +restore both our strength and breath. One of our guides, a robust man, +who had been once on the summit, was so much incommoded, that we were +compelled to leave him behind to await our return. I experienced some +inconvenience from a slight degree of nausea and head-ache, of which +most of those, who have made this journey have complained. When +ascending Ætna, two months before, I had been seriously affected both +by a difficulty of breathing, and by a violent thumping of the heart +and arteries, which was loud enough to be easily heard by my +companions, and which the slightest exertion was sufficient to +excite. In the present instance I dreaded these effects, and had +already begun to feel them in an uncomfortable degree; but was almost +entirely relieved by drinking plentifully of vinegar and water, with +which our guides, to whom experience had taught its utility, had taken +care to be well provided. This drink was extremely agreeable to us; +wine on the contrary, disgusted us. All the water we had, we had +brought from the rock at which we slept, where we had carefully +collected it from the cracks of the ice: for we were now in the region +of eternal ice, where rain never falls, and where the utmost power of +the midsummer sun can only soften, in a slight degree, the surface of +the snow.</p> + +<p>The acclivity we were now ascending, was steeper than any we had +before encountered, so much so that we could only accomplish it by a +zigzag path, advancing not more than a few feet every 20 or 30 yards +we walked. To have an idea of our situation, you must imagine us +marching in single file on the steep mountain side, placing with the +greatest care our feet in the steps, which the hardness of the snow +rendered it necessary for our leader to cut with an axe, supporting +ourselves with our poles against the upper side of the slope, and +having on the other side, the same rapid slope terminating below in a +precipice several hundred feet in height, over which we saw rapidly +hurried all the small pieces of ice, that we loosened with our feet. +Our situation was similar to that of a person scaling the steep and +iced roof of a lofty house, and constantly liable, by an incautious +step, to be suddenly precipitated over the eaves. After we had been +proceeding in this manner for some time, I looked down on the Plateau +beneath, for the guide we had left, and when at last I discerned him, +like a speck on the snow, my head began to grow dizzy at the idea of +the distance below me, and I was forced to keep my head averted from +this side, to recover from this disagreeable feeling.</p> + +<p>Our guides had attached themselves and us with cords, each three +persons together, as when passing the glacier. They were provided with +large iron cramps fastened to their feet, which prevented them from +slipping. Doctor Van Ranselaer and myself had found this contrivance +impede too much our walking, and after a short trial had given it up, +so that we had to rely on the firmness of foot of those guides to whom +we were tied, to preserve us in case of our falling. I am not entirely +convinced, that if one of us had had the misfortune to fall, and were +slipping down the declivity, he would not have drawn his two +companions, in spite of these precautions, over the precipice. To add +to our difficulties, the sun was excessively bright, and almost +blinded us, notwithstanding the gauze veils with which we were all +provided.</p> + +<p>Fortunately, we met with but few crevices; however, on passing one of +these that was hid by the snow, I suddenly sunk, but my body being +thrown forward by this motion, my breast opposed a larger surface to +the snow which thus supported me, and I was easily extricated by a +guide. On looking back through the hole I had broken, I could perceive +the black cavity beneath.</p> + +<p>At one period, our path necessarily led us close under a wall of snow, +more than 150 feet high, from the top of which projected several large +masses of snow, that appeared to require only a touch to bring them +down on our heads. Our captain pointed out our danger, and enjoined +us to pass as quickly as possible, and to observe the strictest +silence. When we looked up at these</p> + +<div class="poem"><p> +—————— Toppling crags of ice,<br /> +The avalanches, whom a breath draws down<br /> +In mountainous o'erwhelming,<br /> +</p></div> + +<p>we felt no disposition to disobey his directions, but passed on with +hurried step, and in the stillness of death. The inhabitants of those +parts of the Alps, exposed to these avalanches, assert that the +concussion of the air, produced by the voice, is often sufficient to +loosen, and bring down their immense masses. Hence the muleteer is +often seen to take the bells from his animals, when he passes through +a valley subject to this danger. A few years since some young men, +relying on the solidity of the ice, and wishing to try the echo, were +so imprudent as to discharge a pistol in a large cave which is at the +lower edge of the glacier des Bois, near Chamouny. The shock brought +down the roof, which crushed them on the spot.</p> + +<p>At 11 o'clock we had passed most of the difficulties, and all the +dangers of our ascent, and reached a granite rock, which appears or +nipple, which forms the summit of Mont Blanc. This rock is only 1000 +feet lower than the summit. Here we enjoyed a full view of the valley +and village of Chamouny, which had hitherto been masked by the +'Aiguille du Midi;' and when we recollected the promises of our +friends there, to watch our progress with their glasses, and were +convinced that they were at that moment observing us, we felt relieved +from the sensation which we had previously experienced, of being shut +out from the world. In fact, we learned afterwards, that they had seen +us distinctly, counted our number, and observed that one of the party +was missing: this was the guide we had left at the 'plateau.'</p> + +<p>Our final object was now close at hand. We turned, with renewed ardor, +to accomplish it; continuing our zigzag path, till, after much +suffering from fatigue, cold, and shortness of breath, we stood, at +half an hour after noon, on the highest point of Europe!</p> + +<p>Our first impulse, on arriving, was to enjoy the pleasure of throwing +our eyes around, without encountering any obstacle. The world was at +our feet. The sensations I felt were rather those of awe, than of +sublimity. It seemed that I no longer trod on this globe, but that I +was removed to some higher planet, from which I could look down on a +scene which I had lately inhabited, and where I had left behind me the +passions, the sufferings, and the vices of men. The houses of +Chamouny, appeared like dwellings of ants, and the river which flows +through the valley, seemed not sufficient to drown one of these pigmy +animals. These emotions made me for some time insensible to the cold, +but the piercing wind, which here had free scope, soon put an end to +my waking dream, and bringing me back to the reality of life, enabled +me to fix my attention on the objects around.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding the pleasure inspired by the view, it was certainly +more terrific than beautiful. The distant objects appeared as if +covered by a veil. To the north-west was the chain of Jura, with a +mist hanging on its whole extent, which prevented the eye from +penetrating into France, in that direction. On the north was the lake +of Geneva; of a black colour, and surrounded by mountains, which we +had thought high, while we were on its banks, but which now appeared +insignificant, and the lake itself seemed scarcely capacious enough to +bathe in. To the east were the only mountains that appeared of a +considerable size; among which, the most conspicuous were the Jungfrau +and Schreckhorn in Grindelwalden, and Monte Rosa, on the borders of +Piedmont, which raises its hoary and magnificent head to within a few +hundred feet of the level of Mont Blanc. The grand St. Bernard was at +our feet, to the south east, scarcely appearing to rise to more than a +mole hill's height above the adjoining vallies. The obstacles which +Bonaparte had to encounter in leading his army over this mountain, +even in winter, appeared so diminished in our eyes, that this vaunted +undertaking lost, at the moment, in our estimation, much of its +heroism and grandeur.</p> + +<p>The view below and immediately around, presented a shapeless +collection of craggy points, among which the 'Needles' were easily +distinguished. We could hardly trust our senses, when we saw, beneath +our feet, those rocks which, from below, appear higher than Mont Blanc +itself, and which seem to penetrate into the region of the stars, and +to threaten to 'disturb the moon in passing by.' Our view may be +compared with that from the top of an elevated steeple over an +extensive city, of which, except in the immediate neighbourhood, the +roof only of the various buildings which compose it, are to be seen. +The only green that we could perceive, was the narrow valley of +Chamouny, and the two vallies by the side of St. Bernard. The portion +of the earth that was not covered with snow, appeared of a gloomy and +dark grey colour. The world presented an image of chaos, and offered +but little to tempt our return to it.</p> + +<p>The top of Mont Blanc is a ridge of perhaps 150 feet in length, and +six or eight in breadth. It is entirely composed of snow, which is +probably of immense depth, and is constantly accumulating. We could +see no traces of the obelisk, 12 feet in height, which had been set up +about ten years before. One of our guides was of the number of those +who placed it, and designated to us its position. The highest rock +which appears above the snow, is a small one of granite, 600 feet +below the summit. We remained but a few minutes immediately on the +top, as the wind blew hard and piercingly cold. Descending a few feet +on the south side, we were partially sheltered from the wind, and here +the sun shone with an excessive brightness, heating every part of the +body exposed to his rays; but the least breath of wind, which reached +us at intervals, was sufficient to make us shiver with cold. +Farenheit's thermometer in the sun, was two degrees below freezing, +and five and a half in the shade. It must be considered, however, that +we suffered a much greater degree of cold than the thermometer +indicated, from the rapid evaporation from the surface of our bodies, +of the insensible transpiration occasioned by the dryness and great +rarity of the surrounding air. This cause, familiar to physiologists, +affected our sensations, and could not influence the thermometer. Most +of our guides stretched themselves on the snow in the sun, and yielded +to the strong inclination to sleep, which we all felt. Only one or two +of them ate: the others, on the contrary, evinced an aversion to all +kinds of food. We did not suffer the great thirst which Saussure and +his party experienced; This we prevented by drinking vinegar and +water, which was very grateful to us, instead of pure water. Our +pulses were increased in frequency and fulness, and we had all the +symptoms of fever. I occupied myself, notwithstanding the +indisposition to action which I felt, in making a few observations, +and in stopping and sealing very carefully a bottle which I had filled +with the air of the summit, intended for examination on my return.</p> + +<p>The colour of the sky had gradually assumed a deeper tint of blue as +we ascended: its present colour was dark indigo, approaching nearly to +black. There was something awful in this appearance, so different from +any we had ever witnessed. There was nothing to which we could compare +it, except to the sun shining at midnight. During some of the first +attempts that were made to ascend Mont Blanc, this appearance produced +so strong an effect on the minds of the guides, who imagined that +Heaven was frowning on their undertaking, that they refused to +proceed. The portion of atmosphere above us was entirely free from the +vapours which the lower strata always contain, and was truly the 'pure +empyreal,' seldom seen by mortal eyes. We had all our life beheld the +sun through a mist, but we now saw him, face to face, in all his +splendour. The guides asserted that the stars can be seen, in full +day, by a person placed in the shade. It being near noon, and the sun +almost over our heads, we could not find shadow to enable us to make +the experiment.</p> + +<p>The air on the top of Mont Blanc is of but little more than half the +density of that at the surface of the ocean. According to the +observations of Saussure, the height of the barometer on the summit, +was sixteen and a half inches, while that of a corresponding one at +Geneva, was twenty-eight inches. In consequence of this rarity of the +air, a pistol, heavily charged, which we fired several times, made +scarcely more noise than the crack of a postillion's whip.</p> + +<p>We remained an hour and a quarter on the summit, part of which time +was spent in useless regrets at not having waited to provide ourselves +with instruments, as we were now so admirably situated to make with +them a series of interesting experiments. Those which had suggested +themselves, were principally concerning the absorption and radiation +of caloric, and on the degree of cold produced by the evaporation of +æther and other liquids. We found the descent more easy and much less +fatiguing, though perhaps more dangerous than the ascent, on account +of the greater risk of slipping. We passed under the place where the +avalanche threatened us, with even more caution and more rapidity than +before, as we found that a small piece had actually fallen, and +covered our path since we had passed by. We arrived in about an hour +at the 'Grand Plateau,' where we stopped to refresh ourselves, and +gratify our returning appetites. We found the guide whom we had left, +quite relieved. Here the sun, reflected from the walls of snow which +surrounded us on three sides, poured down upon us with the most +burning heat that I ever experienced from its rays, while our feet, +cold from being immersed in the snow, prevented perspiration, and thus +increased its power. Wherever its rays could penetrate, as between the +cap and neckcloth, or even to the hands, it resembled the application +of a heated iron. We were compelled, in addition to the assistance of +our veils, to keep our eyes half closed, and even then the light was +too powerful for them.</p> + +<p>We however continued with ease and cheerfulness our descent, until an +unexpected difficulty occurred. Where in the morning we had cut our +footsteps with an axe, we now found the snow so much softened by the +sun, that we sunk in it every third or fourth step, to the middle of +the body. My friend and myself were more subject to this inconvenience +than the guides, on account of the soles of our boots presenting a +less surface to the snow, than those of their large shoes. After +plunging on in this manner for some time, I began to despair of +reaching our rock, which was yet four or five miles distant: but there +was no alternative but to proceed. We therefore kept on, though with +excessive fatigue. We frequently fell forward, and one limb being +tightly engaged in the snow, was violently twisted, and constantly +liable to be sprained; which in our situation would have been a +serious misfortune. The crevices too were, from their edges having +become softened, more dangerous than before. Perseverance and caution, +however, triumphed over all these difficulties, and we reached the +'Grand Mulet,' half an hour after five, our boots, stockings, and +pantaloons completely soaked. These were immediately stretched on the +rock to dry, which the heat of the sun soon effected. I had the +disappointment to find, on examining my pockets, that the bottle which +I had so carefully filled with the air of the summit, had been broken +in one of my frequent falls, and of course my hopes of making with it +some interesting experiments, were now destroyed. The thermometer was +also broken.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding the Herculean labour of the day, and the fatigue we +experienced at the time, we had not been long on our rock before we +felt strong and invigorated, as if just risen from a comfortable +night's repose. This effect of the mountain air has often been +remarked. We had even sufficient strength, and ample time to enable us +to continue our descent with ease to Chamouny; but in the present +softened state of the snow it would have been madness to attempt to +cross the glacier, which we had found difficult and dangerous the +preceding day, even before the sun's rays had affected it. In fact, +while two of the guides were looking down on our path over the +glacier, they saw a bridge of snow which we all crossed the day +before, suddenly sink into the chasm beneath.</p> + +<p>Imprisoned thus by the glacier, which was now all that intervened +betwixt us and terra firma, we quietly resolved to remain where we +were, and made the same arrangements for passing the night, as we had +done the evening before. We were, however, at present better off: I +mentioned that we had been so fortunate as to find a sufficient supply +of water in the neighbourhood of our rock, in consequence of which +most of the charcoal, we had brought to melt the snow, remained. With +this we made a small fire at our feet, and by blowing almost +constantly, kept it up during the night. It has been often observed, +that as we ascend in the atmosphere, the difficulty of maintaining +combustion, is proportionably increased. The cold was notwithstanding +our fire, so great, that whenever I fell asleep, I was awakened in a +few minutes to shiver and chatter my teeth. Our guides slept in the +open air, huddled as close together as possible.</p> + +<p>July 13th.—The dawning of the day was truly welcome, as it promised a +near termination to our toils and suffering, while the gratification +of having accomplished a difficult and interesting object remained as +a recompense. We left our hard bed without reluctance, and were +impatient at the slowness with which the guides made their +preparations in packing up their numerous articles. We began to +descend as the sun illumined the white top of Mont Blanc, but long +before his beams penetrated below. Above our heads the sky was +perfectly clear, while the vallies beneath, and all except a few of +the highest surrounding mountains, were concealed by a sea of clouds. +The appearance of the clouds when seen from above is singular; they +resemble immense floating masses of light carded cotton. We retraced +our path of the first day, and took the same precaution as then of +tying ourselves together. When the sun's rays began to shine on the +snow around us, I found that my eyes were so much inflamed, I could +scarcely bear them sufficiently open to see the path; notwithstanding +the gauze veil I had constantly used, my face was in a terrible +condition: the outer skin had fallen, rendering my chin and lips one +continued sore. Doctor Van Rensselaer's eyes were in a worse condition +than mine, and his face nearly as bad.</p> + +<p>At one part of the glacier where the snow had been so hard at our +passing, that our feet left no impression, we lost our path, which was +a misfortune, as we had chosen a much better path in ascending, than +we could have done in descending. We however fell in with the track of +two chamois, which our guides followed with confidence, relying on the +instinct, which they attribute to these animals, of finding a +practicable path over the most difficult glaciers. When we had at last +past the glacier, our feet seemed to rejoice at once more touching +firm ground; and we felt as if returning to the world from a distant +voyage. The rest of our task offered no difficulty, being a constant +descent down the rocky mountain side, except what was occasioned by +our almost total blindness, and the pain we suffered in our eyes. It +was however very fatiguing, as the descent from a mountain is +generally more so than the ascent to it. We stopped at the same +Chalet, where two days before we had bid adieu to the world; and were +regaled by the old man and his daughters with another delicious +draught of milk and cream. We reached the village soon after ten +o'clock in the morning, having been absent fifty-three hours, during +forty-five of which we were on the ice. We were received with many +congratulations by the honest villagers, who had taken considerable +interest in our success.</p> + +<p>As soon as my companion and myself reached our inn, we buried +ourselves in our chamber, to enjoy the luxury of a bed, and of +darkness, which was necessary for our eyes. It was not until the sun +had set, and the twilight was not too strong for them, that we +ventured out to regale ourselves with a comfortable meal. Two English +visitors, who had watched with a glass our progress on the top of Mont +Blanc, had expressed a determination to follow our example; but our +account of the difficulties we met with, and still more the view of +the condition we were in, soon induced them to abandon the design. We +walked out at the approach of night under the "Needles," and as we saw +these rocks, on whose sides</p> + +<div class="poem"><p> +———— the clouds<br /> +Pause to repose themselves in passing by,<br /> +</p></div> + +<p>and on whose tops the stars seemed to rest, we could scarcely realize +the idea that they were the same we had seen only thirty hours before, +far below our feet.</p> + +<p>The next day after our return to Chamouny, our eyes had become so much +stronger, that we were enabled, without much inconvenience, to proceed +to Geneva, where we have since remained to recover from our +sufferings. Though now more than a week has elapsed, my face is yet +much inflamed; but my eyes have regained their usual strength. Dr. Van +Rensselaer has suffered in the same manner, but on the whole rather +less than myself. Wherever the sun's rays could penetrate, even behind +the ears to the level of the neckcloth, the skin has fallen off, and I +have exchanged the tawny hue of an Italian and Sicilian sun, for the +fair complexion of a German or Englishman. We have purchased perhaps +too dearly the indulgence of our curiosity; but at present, when the +difficulties are passed, and the gratification remains, I cannot +regret our hardships, especially if I succeed in making you partake of +the one, without suffering from the other.</p> + +<h4>THE END.</h4> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES</h2> + +<p>Other than the corrections listed below, printer's inconsistencies +in spelling and punctuation usage have been retained:<br /><br /> + "Bourrit" corrected to "Bouritt" (page 12)<br /> + "representa-ons" corrected to "representations" (page 15)<br /> + "breath" corrected to "breadth" (page 20)<br /> + "visiters" corrected to "visitors" (page 47)</p> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Narrative of a Journey to the Summit +of Mont Blanc, by William Howard + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MONT BLANC *** + +***** This file should be named 32823-h.htm or 32823-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/8/2/32823/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Narrative of a Journey to the Summit of Mont Blanc + +Author: William Howard + +Release Date: June 15, 2010 [EBook #32823] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MONT BLANC *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY + TO THE + SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC. + + + [Illustration: _Passing a crevice in the_ Glacier _of_ Boissons] + + + + + NARRATIVE + OF + A JOURNEY + TO THE + Summit of Mont Blanc, + + MADE IN JULY, 1819. + + _BY WM. HOWARD, M. D._ + + + "Mont Blanc is the monarch of mountains, + They crown'd him long ago, + On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, + With a diadem of snow." + + + BALTIMORE: + PUBLISHED BY FIELDING LUCAS, JR. + J. Robinson, printer. + 1821. + + + + + The account of the following journey was written a few days + after its execution, while the author was confined to his + chamber by the inconveniences he had suffered, and it was then + penned for the gratification of his immediate friends, and + without any view to publication. The partiality of friends, + however, having permitted it, during his absence, to appear + in the Analectic Magazine, for May 1820, it excited more + attention than he could have anticipated, which has induced + the author to correct the errors arising from haste and other + sources, and to republish it in the present form. + + _Baltimore, April, 1821._ + + + + + NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE + SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC. + + + ----------------- "Above me are the Alps + The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls + Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps, + And thron'd Eternity in icy halls + Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls + The avalanche--the thunderbolt of snow, + All that expands the spirit, yet appals, + Gather around these summits, as to show + How earth may pierce to Heaven, yet leave vain man below." + + BYRON. + + + + +NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY, &c. + + + Geneva, July, 1819. + +You, my dear friend, who are well acquainted from my infancy with my +clambering disposition, which, within these few months, has carried me +to the top of both Vesuvius and AEtna, will not be much surprised to +learn, that I have attempted, with success, to mount to the summit of +Mont Blanc; an aerial journey which the sight of this mountain has +inspired many persons with a wish to accomplish; but in which few have +engaged, and still fewer have succeeded. I am somewhat afraid that you +will condemn the expedition as a wild one, and will justly consider +the gratification of our curiosity, which was, unfortunately, the only +object we attained, as an inadequate recompense for our toil and +danger; but you have no cause to fear my embarking in similar +adventures in future. Having reached a spot, undoubtedly the highest +in Europe, and, with the exception of the Himalaya mountains in India, +the highest in the Old World, my curiosity is completely gratified, +and there is scarcely any possibility of my meeting with an enterprise +of this nature, of sufficient magnitude to renew its excitement: since +five of the loftiest of the Alleghanies piled on each other, would +scarcely reach to the height I have attained. To give you a correct +idea of the nature of our undertaking, I will begin with a concise +account of this king of the Alps, and of the various attempts that +have been made to reach its summit. + +Mont Blanc is situated amidst some of the highest mountains of Savoy, +forming a part of the great chain of the Alps, above which, however, +it raises far its snowy head, as with a dignified air of conscious +triumph. It is this white head, which its elevation renders doubly +bright, that gives its name. On the north side of the mountain, and +immediately at its foot, is the valley of Chamouny, which is sixteen +leagues south from Geneva, and is much frequented in the summer season +by the inhabitants of that city, and strangers, who throng to this +enchanted vale, to enjoy the coolness of the air, and to view its +stupendous glaciers, several of which are formed by the snow and ice +gliding down from Mont Blanc itself. On the south-east side is the +valley of Entreves, which separates Mont Blanc both from the great and +the little St. Bernard, and through which runs a small river, whose +waters join the Po, below Turin, while the Arva, which flows through +Chamouny, joins the Rhone, near Geneva. These rivers finally discharge +themselves into the sea, at the distance of several hundred miles from +each other; the one into the Mediterranean, near Marseilles, and the +other into the Adriatic, near Venice. The chain of Alps, of which Mont +Blanc forms a part, runs from N. E. to S. W. and is partly surmounted +in its neighbourhood, by sharp pointed rocks, whose sides are too +steep for the snow to rest upon, and of which seven, rising abruptly +to a great height, have the appropriate name of the "Needles of +Chamouny." + +The height of Mont Blanc, according to the observations of Saussure, +is 14,790 French feet above the level of the sea,[A] which is only +5800 less than that of Chimborazo, the summit of which has been never +reached: on the other hand, its relative height above the surrounding +country is greater; for Mont Blanc is 11,500 above the valley of +Chamouny, while Chimborazo, according to Humboldt, is only 11,200 +above the plain of Tapia, at its foot. It is calculated that, from +this height, the eye could reach sixty-eight leagues, or about 170 of +our miles, without being intercepted by the convexity of the earth. +Mont Blanc is seen from Lyons in all its magnificence; from the +mountains of Burgundy, from Dijon, and even from Langres, sixty-five +leagues distant in a straight line: M. Saussure thought he recognised +the mountain of Cavme, near Toulon. + + [A] About 15,500 English feet, or something less than three + miles. + +In 1760 and 61, Saussure, the celebrated philosopher of Geneva, then +engaged in examining the natural history of the Alps, promised a +considerable reward to any person who should succeed in finding a +practicable path to the summit, offering even to pay for the lost +time of those who made ineffectual efforts. The first who undertook +this, was Pierre Simon, a hunter of Chamouny, in 1762: but he was +unsuccessful. In 1775, four men of the same village endeavoured for +the same object, and with as ill success, to follow the ridge of the +Montagne de la Cote, which runs parallel to the Glacier of Boissons. +In 1783, three others followed the same track, but were attacked by an +increasing disposition to sleep, from which they could only relieve +themselves by returning. M. Bouritt, of Geneva, made two ineffectual +attempts the same year, and the following year another, accompanied by +Saussure, his own son, and fifteen guides. + +In June 1786, six men of the valley of Chamouny, renewed the effort to +reach the summit, but fatigue and cold forced them to renounce it; one +of them, however, Jacques Balmat, separating from his companions to +search for crystals, and having lost himself, was prevented by a storm +from rejoining them, and compelled to pass the night on the snow, +unprovided and alone; youth, however, and the vigour of his +constitution, saved his life. In the morning he perceived the top at +no great distance, and having the whole day before him to provide for +his descent, he examined leisurely the approaches to it, and observed +one, that appeared more accessible than any he had hitherto seen. At +his return to Chamouny, he was taken ill, in consequence of his great +exposure, and was attended by Dr. Paccard, the physician of the +village, to whom he communicated his discovery, and offered, in +gratitude for his care, to guide him to the summit of Mont Blanc. + +In consequence of this, Jacques Balmat and Dr. Paccard, set out from +Chamouny the 7th of August, the same year, and slept on the top of the +Montagne de la Cote. The next day they experienced great difficulties +and excessive fatigue, and were long doubtful of the ultimate event of +their enterprise; but finally, at half past 6, P. M. they reached the +pinnacle of the mountain, in sight of many visitors, who were at +Chamouny, watching their progress with telescopes. The cold was so +intense, that provision was frozen in their pockets, the ink congealed +in their ink horns, and the mercury in Farenheit's thermometer, sunk +to eighteen and a half degrees. They remained about half an hour on +the top, regained at midnight the Montagne de la Cote, and after two +hours repose, set out for Chamouny, where they arrived at eight in the +morning, with their lips swollen, their faces excoriated, and their +eyes much inflamed; and it was some time before they recovered from +these disagreeable effects. + +As soon as the intelligence of this success reached Saussure at +Geneva, he determined on making a similar attempt: which he in fact +did the same year, but was compelled by unfavourable weather to +return. He was, however, not discouraged, but as the season was now +far advanced, he postponed his operations until the ensuing summer. +Accordingly, on the 1st of August, 1787, he again set out from +Chamouny, accompanied by his servant, and eighteen guides, carrying a +tent, a bed, ladders, cords, provisions, and philosophical +instruments. + +The party arrived early the same day at the Montagne de la Cote, where +they passed the night. The next day, notwithstanding an increase of +dangers and difficulties, they passed under the Dome de Goute, and +reached a platform, or small plain, at the height of 11,790 feet +above the sea, where they pitched their tent in the snow, and passed +the night. The following morning, (August 3d) the snow was so hard, +and the ascent so steep, that they were compelled to cut their +footsteps with a hatchet, and it was only by proceeding with the +greatest caution, that they were enabled to pass this dangerous +acclivity with safety. They, however, persevered, and reached the +summit about an hour before noon, in view of many persons who were +observing them from Chamouny. M. Saussure turned his eyes to the house +where his mother and sisters were watching his progress with a +telescope, and had the satisfaction of seeing the waving of a flag, +which was the signal they had agreed to make, as soon as they should +be assured of his safety. The latter part of his ascent was the +slowest and most fatiguing, owing to the difficulty of breathing, +occasioned by the rarity of the air: the stoutest of his guides could +not take more than thirty steps, without stopping to take breath. No +one had the least appetite, but all were much tormented by thirst. The +guides pitched the tent, in which M. Saussure remained four hours, +making a number of observations. At half after three, the party began +to descend, and slept lower 1100 feet than the preceding night. The +next day they arrived, without any accident, at Chamouny. + +This successful expedition of Saussure, and the interesting account he +published of it, inspired many persons with a wish of accomplishing +the same task; but they were generally soon deterred by an examination +into the difficulties attending its execution, and returned satisfied +with a view from the vallies below, of the terrific glaciers, and +everlasting snows, which defend the approaches to the summit. The +following are the principal attempts that have since been made, and it +will be perceived that of these few, only a part have succeeded. + +On the 8th of August, 1787, five days after M. Saussure's return, +Col. Beaufoy, an Englishman, set out from Chamouny for Mont Blanc, +accompanied by ten guides. He reached the top the following day, and +returned the third day to the village, with his face and eyes so +inflamed, that he nearly lost his sight in consequence. As he was not +properly provided with instruments, he was unable to add much to the +observations which had been made by Saussure. He, however, determined +the latitude of the summit to be 45 deg., 49', 59''. + +The year following these two journeys, (1788,) Mr. Bouritt, of Geneva, +in company with his son, two other gentleman, and a number of guides, +attempted the ascent of Mont Blanc. The party was dispersed by a +storm, and only Mr. Bouritt, his son, and three guides, succeeded in +reaching the top, where the violence of the cold compelled them to +abridge their stay to a few minutes. While there, Mr. Bouritt thought +he perceived the sea in the direction of Genoa; but the immense +distance rendered the objects at the horizon, too indistinct to be +certain of it. The whole party returned to Chamouny in a terrible +condition. One of Mr. Bouritt's companions, who had lost himself, +suffered dreadfully, as well as the guides who were with him, and +returned with his feet and hands frozen, while some of the company, +who were more fortunate, had only their fingers and ears in the same +condition. Mr. Bouritt was obliged to wash for thirteen days in ice +water, to restore the use of his limbs, which had suffered from the +extreme cold. + +In 1792, four Englishmen undertook the same journey, but were +prevented, by an accident, from proceeding farther than the Montagne +de la Cote, where, unfortunately, one of the guides had his leg +broken, and another his skull driven in: they themselves were all more +or less wounded. A false step of one of the foremost of the party upon +a loose rock, which brought it and a number of others down upon his +companions, was the cause of this accident. + +M. Forneret, of Lausanne, and M. d'Ortern set out on the 10th of +August, 1802, with seven guides, for Mont Blanc, and notwithstanding a +storm, reached the summit the following day. They remained there only +twenty minutes, and returned on the 12th to Chamouny, protesting that +nothing in the world could tempt them to undertake again the same +expedition. + +In August, 1808, Jacques Balmat, surnamed Mont Blanc, from his having +been the first to discover the way to the summit, safely conducted +thither fifteen of the inhabitants of Chamouny, one of whom was a +_woman_. + +About this time also he returned with two of his companions, and +placed on the top an obelisk of wood, twelve feet in height, (which +they had brought up in pieces) to serve in the trigonometrical survey, +that was then making of the country. + +In 1812, M. Rodasse, a banker of Hamburgh, undertook and accomplished +the same journey, without any accident. + +The 16th of September, 1816, the Comte de Lucy, a Frenchman, +succeeded, notwithstanding the severity of the cold he experienced, in +attaining a rock only 600 feet lower than the summit of Mont Blanc. He +was there, however, so entirely overcome with cold and fatigue, that +he was unable to proceed this short distance, and compelled, with much +reluctance, to return. On reaching the valley he was unable to walk, +but was carried by his guides to the inn, where his feet proved to be +so much frozen, that on drawing his boot, the skin peeled off and +remained in it. Two of his guides were also severely frozen. + +Count Malzeski, a Pole, left Chamouny the 5th of August, 1818, for +Mont Blanc, accompanied by eleven guides, reached the summit the +following day, and returned, in safety, the third, without suffering +much more inconvenience than having his nose frozen. + +During our visit to Chamouny, in the beginning of this month, my +friend Dr. Van Rensselaer and myself, in our various excursions to the +glaciers, and other scenes of the valley, had frequently opportunities +of conversing with the guides, who had participated in these journeys, +and among them with old Balmat, the Columbus of Mont Blanc. The result +was, that our curiosity was strongly excited, and being induced by +their representations of the almost certainty of succeeding in the +present favourable weather, we finally determined, after much +deliberation, to make the attempt. We therefore engaged _Marie +Coutet_, an experienced guide, who had been three times on the summit, +as leader, and eight other guides to accompany us. They refused to +undertake the journey with a smaller party, on account of the number +of articles which it was necessary to take with us, as a ladder, +cords, provisions, charcoal to melt the snow for drinking, and a +number of other things, which were indispensable, and which formed a +sufficient quantity to load each of the nine with a considerable +burthen. One day was occupied in making preparations, on which our +comfort and our ultimate success depended. These were passed in review +in the evening, and having found that nothing material was omitted, an +early hour the next day was appointed for our departure. + +Accordingly, on Sunday the 11th of July, we left the village of +Chamouny, at five o'clock, full of anxiety ourselves, and accompanied +by the good wishes of the honest inhabitants for our success. The +necessity of taking advantage of the fine weather, opposed our +delaying another day. Our guides, who in common with all the +inhabitants of the mountainous parts of Savoy, are very attentive to +the duties of their religion, were unwilling to set out on a church +day, without having previously attended service. They had, therefore, +induced the Cure to celebrate mass at three o'clock, and, +notwithstanding the fatigue they expected during the day, the early +hour had not prevented them from attending it. + +We descended the valley by the side of the Arva, about a league, till +we approached the glacier of Boissons, and then turning suddenly to +the left into the woods, we began immediately a very steep ascent, +parallel to, and about a half mile from the edge of the glacier. After +about three hours toilsome mounting, we came to the last house on our +road. It was the highest dwelling in the neighbourhood, and was one of +those cottages called "Chalets," which are inhabited only during three +of the summer months, when the peasants drive their cattle from the +plains below, to the then richer verdure of the mountains. We found +there the old man and his two daughters; his wife, as is the custom, +was left behind to take care of the house in the valley. After +refreshing ourselves with a delicious draught of fresh milk, and +receiving the wishes of these good people, for a 'bon voyage,' we bade +adieu to all traces of man, and continued to mount. Another hour's +toil brought us above the region of wood, after which the few stinted +vegetables we met with, gradually diminished in size, and when we +arrived, at 10 o'clock, at the upper edge of the glacier of Boissons, +only a few mosses, and the most hardy alpine plants were to be found. + +We had been compelled a little before, by the precipices of the +Aiguille du Midi, which presented themselves like a wall before us, to +change our direction, and instead of proceeding parallel to the +glacier, to strike off suddenly towards it. We had now a close view of +some of the obstacles which bar the approach to Mont Blanc; the +glacier of Boissons, on which we were about to enter, seemed to me +absolutely impassable. The only relief to the white snow and ice +before us, was an occasional rock, thrusting its sharp point above +their surface, and too steep to permit the snow to lodge on it. One of +these rocks, or rather a chain of them, called the 'Grand Mulet,' +which we had destined for our resting place for the night, was before +us, but far above our heads at the distance of four or five miles; the +glacier, however, still intervened, and appeared to defy all attempts +to approach it. + +The glacier of Boissons, like all the glaciers of the Alps, is an +immense mass of ice filling a valley which stretches down the mountain +side, and is formed by the accumulated snow and ice, which are +constantly in the summer months, falling from above. While the +glaciers are thus continually increasing on the surface, the internal +heat of the earth is slowly melting them below. Hence, when they are +large, there generally proceeds from under them a considerable stream: +such are the sources of the Rhine and of the Rhone. Their surface, +often resembles that of a violent agitated sea, suddenly congealed. +They are frequently of several leagues in breadth, and from 100 to 600 +feet in depth. The snow which falls on them, to the depth of several +feet every winter, is softened by the sun's rays in summer--and +freezing again at the return of cold weather, but in a more solid +state, forms a successive layer every year. This stratum may be easily +measured, (as each of them is distinctly separated from its neighbour +by a dark line,) at the section made by those cracks, which traverse +every glacier in all directions. These cracks or crevices, are +generally thought to be caused by the irregular sinking of part of the +mass, whose support below has been gradually melted away. They are +formed suddenly, and frequently with a noise that may be heard at the +distance of several miles, and with a shock that makes the +neighbouring country tremble: this effect takes place principally +in summer. These rents are from a few inches to 20, 30, or even +50 or 60 feet in breadth, and generally of immense depth: probably +extending to the bottom of the glacier. They present the greatest +danger and difficulty to the passenger. They are often concealed by a +layer of snow, which gives no indication on its surface, of its +want of solidity; and it often happens that the chamois hunter, +notwithstanding all his caution, suddenly sinks through this +treacherous veil into the chasm beneath. + +We remained a couple of hours at our resting place, to take some +refreshment, and to regain strength for our next difficult task. +Jacques Balmat accompanied us this far, to point out the best means of +attaining that spot on which he was the first to set foot; but the +infirmities of age prevented him from accompanying us farther. Our +feet seemed to linger, and to leave with reluctance the last ground +they were to touch until the period of our return. + +We however entered on the glacier with confidence in the skill and +prudence of our guides; several of whom being hunters, and accustomed +to chase the chamois over such places, were acquainted with all the +precautions, that it was necessary to take for our safety. To avoid +the danger of falling into the crevices, especially those masked by +the snow, we connected ourselves, three persons together, at the +distance of 10 or 12 feet apart, by a cord round the body: so that in +case of one of the three falling into a chasm, the other two could at +least support him, until assistance could be procured from the rest of +the party. + +Each person was provided with a pole, 6 feet long, and pointed at the +bottom with iron, which we found to be a necessary article. Where the +crevices were not more than two or three feet broad, we leaped over +them with the assistance of our staff; others we passed on natural +bridges of snow, that threatened every moment to sink with us into the +abyss, and over others, we made a bridge of the ladder, which was +extremely slight, as otherwise it would have been impossible for a man +to carry it up the steeps we had ascended. Without its assistance, we +could not have passed the glacier. Over this slender support we +crawled with caution, suspended over a chasm, into which we could see +to an immense depth; but of which in no instance could we see the +bottom. We were sometimes forced to pass on a narrow ridge of +treacherous ice, not more than a foot in breadth, with one of these +terrific chasms on either side. The firm step, with which we saw our +guides pass these difficulties, inspired us with confidence: but I +cannot even now think of some of the situations we were placed in, +without a feeling of dread; and especially when in bed, and in the +silence of the night, they present themselves to my imagination, I +involuntarily shrink with horror at the idea, and am astonished in +recollecting what little sensation I felt at the moment. + +We threw down into some of the narrow cracks, pieces of ice and +fragments of rock, and heard for a considerable time, the more and +more distant sound, as they bounded from side to side. In no instance +could we perceive the stone strike the bottom; but the sound, instead +of ceasing suddenly, as would then have been the case, grew fainter +and fainter, until it was too feeble to be heard. What then must be +the immense depth of these openings, when in these silent regions, the +noise of a large stone striking the bottom is too distant to be heard +at the orifice! + +The number of openings we met with, which were broader than the length +of our ladder, and which, of course, we had no means of crossing, +rendered our path extremely circuitous. We were often enabled, by the +ladder's assistance, to scale high and perpendicular banks of snow. It +sometimes proved too short to reach to the top; but where the steep +was not absolutely perpendicular, we contrived in several instances to +remedy this inconvenience. One of the guides, standing on the top of +the ladder, enabled the rest, who clambered up by his assistance, and +over his shoulders, to reach the summit; when there, we easily drew up +him and the ladder with cords. + +We were occasionally compelled to retrace our steps, and we were +frequently so involved in the intricacies of the glacier, that we had +to remain without proceeding, a considerable time, until the guides, +who were dispersed in every direction on the discovery, could find a +practical path to extricate us. + +In addition to these difficulties, I had not been long on the glacier, +before I perceived that my faithless boot had given way; which, as +every thing depended upon the state of our feet, was a serious +misfortune. Necessity, however, is the mother of invention, and I +contrived to bind it with cords in such a manner, that it served me +tolerably well the rest of the journey. + +In consequence of all these obstacles, we only arrived at 5 o'clock at +the "Grand Mulet," not more than four or five miles distant, in a +straight line from the point where we entered on the glacier; but, +from the circuitous route we had taken, we could not have walked less, +in this distance, than 14 or 15 miles. We were now 11,000 feet above +the level of the sea, and 8,000 feet above the village of Chamouny. A +niche on the steep side, and near the top of the rock, about a hundred +and fifty feet from its base, and to which we had much difficulty in +climbing, was selected for our lodging place; indeed it was the only +part of the rock, that afforded any thing like a level place. We were +fortunate in finding the day had been so warm, that there was water +in some of the crevices of the ice, which circumstance enabled us to +economize our charcoal. The sun shone very bright on our side of the +rock; but as soon as it sunk below the horizon, the eternal frost +around us regained its influence, and the air became very cold. We +had, however, time to dry our boots and pantaloons, and I found a pair +of large woolen stockings, that I had with me, an invaluable article. +Our guides stretched the ladder from one point of the rock to another, +and, throwing over it a couple of sheets they had brought for the +purpose, formed a kind of tent, just large enough for Dr. Van +Rensselaer and myself to creep in: a single blanket upon the rock was +our bed. The guides were so loaded with indispensable articles, that +we had not been able to bring a blanket, or even an extra coat to +cover us. + +After a cold and uncomfortable supper, we crept into our den, soon +after the genial sun had left us, and endeavoured, by every means our +ingenuity could suggest, but ineffectually, to keep ourselves warm. We +suffered much from the cold, but principally towards morning, as the +thermometer was several degrees below freezing. The night seemed to +last at least twenty hours; at one time I thought the day must +certainly be not distant, and was surprised, at looking at my watch by +the light of the moon, to find it only 11 o'clock. Tired of inaction, +and shivering with the cold, I crawled out about midnight to endeavour +to warm myself, by the exercise of clambering on the rock. The view +around was sublime, and rendered me for a time insensible to all +feelings of personal suffering. + +The sky was very clear, but perfectly black; the moon and stars, whose +rays were not obscured by passing through the lower dense region of +the atmosphere, as when seen from the surface of the earth, shone with +a brilliancy, tenfold of what I had ever observed from below; and the +comet, with its bright tail, formed in the north-west, a beautiful +object. Nothing was to be seen around the rock on which we were +placed, but white snow and some heavy clouds, that, floating below us, +shut out the valley from our view. The guides appeared to be all +asleep, and the only interruption to the silence of death, was the +occasional avalanche, rolling with the sound of distant thunder from +the highest part of the surrounding glaciers, and heightening the +feelings of awful sublimity, which our situation was so calculated to +inspire. + +As our lodging was extremely uncomfortable in every respect, we were +under no temptation of lying till a late hour in the morning. On the +contrary, we hailed with joy the first appearance of the dawn, which +enabled us to substitute the warmth of marching, for the cold +inactivity from which we had suffered all night. We set out at three +o'clock, leaving most of our provisions and other articles on the +rock. Four hours of laborious, but not dangerous walking, brought us +to a large plain, called the 'Grand Plateau,' which is nearly +surrounded, (on the one hand) by a spur of Mont Blanc, and the +Aiguille du Midi; on the other, by the Montagne de la Cote, while Mont +Blanc presents itself directly in front. These mountains form a steep +amphitheatre around this plain. Here we stopped an hour to breakfast, +and to recruit strength for the last and most difficult part of the +ascent. We were now more than 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, +and only 3,000 feet lower than the summit, which was in full view +before us. But I looked around, in vain, for any part of its steep +sides that seemed to offer a possibility of being scaled, and when the +guides pointed out the route we were to take, among and over +precipices, and huge broken masses of snow, and up almost +perpendicular steeps, I involuntarily shrunk at the prospect, and +could not forbear casting my eye wistfully at our road back. But it +would not have done to be deterred at this time by a few difficulties; +and a moment's reflection, on the skill and experience of our guides, +renewed our confidence, and we began cheerfully to mount the first +steep before us. We here began to feel more seriously an effect, that +is always experienced at considerable heights, and which had not much +incommoded us before. It was impossible for the strongest of us, to +take more than twenty or thirty steps, without stopping to take +breath, and this effect gradually increased as we continued to ascend; +insomuch, that when near the summit, even the stoutest of our guides, +who could run for leagues over the lower mountains without panting, +could not take more than twelve, or at most fifteen steps, without +being ready to sink for want of breath. If we attempted to exceed this +number by even three or four steps, a horrible oppression, as of +approaching death, seized us; our limbs became excessively painful, +and threatened to sink under us. It is very possible, that Walter +Scot's hero, + + Up Ben Lomond's side could press, + And not a sob his toil confess; + +but I am very certain he could not perform the same feat on Mont +Blanc. It is remarkable, that a few seconds rest was sufficient to +restore both our strength and breath. One of our guides, a robust man, +who had been once on the summit, was so much incommoded, that we were +compelled to leave him behind to await our return. I experienced some +inconvenience from a slight degree of nausea and head-ache, of which +most of those, who have made this journey have complained. When +ascending AEtna, two months before, I had been seriously affected both +by a difficulty of breathing, and by a violent thumping of the heart +and arteries, which was loud enough to be easily heard by my +companions, and which the slightest exertion was sufficient to +excite. In the present instance I dreaded these effects, and had +already begun to feel them in an uncomfortable degree; but was almost +entirely relieved by drinking plentifully of vinegar and water, with +which our guides, to whom experience had taught its utility, had taken +care to be well provided. This drink was extremely agreeable to us; +wine on the contrary, disgusted us. All the water we had, we had +brought from the rock at which we slept, where we had carefully +collected it from the cracks of the ice: for we were now in the region +of eternal ice, where rain never falls, and where the utmost power of +the midsummer sun can only soften, in a slight degree, the surface of +the snow. + +The acclivity we were now ascending, was steeper than any we had +before encountered, so much so that we could only accomplish it by a +zigzag path, advancing not more than a few feet every 20 or 30 yards +we walked. To have an idea of our situation, you must imagine us +marching in single file on the steep mountain side, placing with the +greatest care our feet in the steps, which the hardness of the snow +rendered it necessary for our leader to cut with an axe, supporting +ourselves with our poles against the upper side of the slope, and +having on the other side, the same rapid slope terminating below in a +precipice several hundred feet in height, over which we saw rapidly +hurried all the small pieces of ice, that we loosened with our feet. +Our situation was similar to that of a person scaling the steep and +iced roof of a lofty house, and constantly liable, by an incautious +step, to be suddenly precipitated over the eaves. After we had been +proceeding in this manner for some time, I looked down on the Plateau +beneath, for the guide we had left, and when at last I discerned him, +like a speck on the snow, my head began to grow dizzy at the idea of +the distance below me, and I was forced to keep my head averted from +this side, to recover from this disagreeable feeling. + +Our guides had attached themselves and us with cords, each three +persons together, as when passing the glacier. They were provided with +large iron cramps fastened to their feet, which prevented them from +slipping. Doctor Van Ranselaer and myself had found this contrivance +impede too much our walking, and after a short trial had given it up, +so that we had to rely on the firmness of foot of those guides to whom +we were tied, to preserve us in case of our falling. I am not entirely +convinced, that if one of us had had the misfortune to fall, and were +slipping down the declivity, he would not have drawn his two +companions, in spite of these precautions, over the precipice. To add +to our difficulties, the sun was excessively bright, and almost +blinded us, notwithstanding the gauze veils with which we were all +provided. + +Fortunately, we met with but few crevices; however, on passing one of +these that was hid by the snow, I suddenly sunk, but my body being +thrown forward by this motion, my breast opposed a larger surface to +the snow which thus supported me, and I was easily extricated by a +guide. On looking back through the hole I had broken, I could perceive +the black cavity beneath. + +At one period, our path necessarily led us close under a wall of snow, +more than 150 feet high, from the top of which projected several large +masses of snow, that appeared to require only a touch to bring them +down on our heads. Our captain pointed out our danger, and enjoined +us to pass as quickly as possible, and to observe the strictest +silence. When we looked up at these + + -------- Toppling crags of ice, + The avalanches, whom a breath draws down + In mountainous o'erwhelming, + +we felt no disposition to disobey his directions, but passed on with +hurried step, and in the stillness of death. The inhabitants of those +parts of the Alps, exposed to these avalanches, assert that the +concussion of the air, produced by the voice, is often sufficient to +loosen, and bring down their immense masses. Hence the muleteer is +often seen to take the bells from his animals, when he passes through +a valley subject to this danger. A few years since some young men, +relying on the solidity of the ice, and wishing to try the echo, were +so imprudent as to discharge a pistol in a large cave which is at the +lower edge of the glacier des Bois, near Chamouny. The shock brought +down the roof, which crushed them on the spot. + +At 11 o'clock we had passed most of the difficulties, and all the +dangers of our ascent, and reached a granite rock, which appears or +nipple, which forms the summit of Mont Blanc. This rock is only 1000 +feet lower than the summit. Here we enjoyed a full view of the valley +and village of Chamouny, which had hitherto been masked by the +'Aiguille du Midi;' and when we recollected the promises of our +friends there, to watch our progress with their glasses, and were +convinced that they were at that moment observing us, we felt relieved +from the sensation which we had previously experienced, of being shut +out from the world. In fact, we learned afterwards, that they had seen +us distinctly, counted our number, and observed that one of the party +was missing: this was the guide we had left at the 'plateau.' + +Our final object was now close at hand. We turned, with renewed ardor, +to accomplish it; continuing our zigzag path, till, after much +suffering from fatigue, cold, and shortness of breath, we stood, at +half an hour after noon, on the highest point of Europe! + +Our first impulse, on arriving, was to enjoy the pleasure of throwing +our eyes around, without encountering any obstacle. The world was at +our feet. The sensations I felt were rather those of awe, than of +sublimity. It seemed that I no longer trod on this globe, but that I +was removed to some higher planet, from which I could look down on a +scene which I had lately inhabited, and where I had left behind me the +passions, the sufferings, and the vices of men. The houses of +Chamouny, appeared like dwellings of ants, and the river which flows +through the valley, seemed not sufficient to drown one of these pigmy +animals. These emotions made me for some time insensible to the cold, +but the piercing wind, which here had free scope, soon put an end to +my waking dream, and bringing me back to the reality of life, enabled +me to fix my attention on the objects around. + +Notwithstanding the pleasure inspired by the view, it was certainly +more terrific than beautiful. The distant objects appeared as if +covered by a veil. To the north-west was the chain of Jura, with a +mist hanging on its whole extent, which prevented the eye from +penetrating into France, in that direction. On the north was the lake +of Geneva; of a black colour, and surrounded by mountains, which we +had thought high, while we were on its banks, but which now appeared +insignificant, and the lake itself seemed scarcely capacious enough to +bathe in. To the east were the only mountains that appeared of a +considerable size; among which, the most conspicuous were the Jungfrau +and Schreckhorn in Grindelwalden, and Monte Rosa, on the borders of +Piedmont, which raises its hoary and magnificent head to within a few +hundred feet of the level of Mont Blanc. The grand St. Bernard was at +our feet, to the south east, scarcely appearing to rise to more than a +mole hill's height above the adjoining vallies. The obstacles which +Bonaparte had to encounter in leading his army over this mountain, +even in winter, appeared so diminished in our eyes, that this vaunted +undertaking lost, at the moment, in our estimation, much of its +heroism and grandeur. + +The view below and immediately around, presented a shapeless +collection of craggy points, among which the 'Needles' were easily +distinguished. We could hardly trust our senses, when we saw, beneath +our feet, those rocks which, from below, appear higher than Mont Blanc +itself, and which seem to penetrate into the region of the stars, and +to threaten to 'disturb the moon in passing by.' Our view may be +compared with that from the top of an elevated steeple over an +extensive city, of which, except in the immediate neighbourhood, the +roof only of the various buildings which compose it, are to be seen. +The only green that we could perceive, was the narrow valley of +Chamouny, and the two vallies by the side of St. Bernard. The portion +of the earth that was not covered with snow, appeared of a gloomy and +dark grey colour. The world presented an image of chaos, and offered +but little to tempt our return to it. + +The top of Mont Blanc is a ridge of perhaps 150 feet in length, and +six or eight in breadth. It is entirely composed of snow, which is +probably of immense depth, and is constantly accumulating. We could +see no traces of the obelisk, 12 feet in height, which had been set up +about ten years before. One of our guides was of the number of those +who placed it, and designated to us its position. The highest rock +which appears above the snow, is a small one of granite, 600 feet +below the summit. We remained but a few minutes immediately on the +top, as the wind blew hard and piercingly cold. Descending a few feet +on the south side, we were partially sheltered from the wind, and here +the sun shone with an excessive brightness, heating every part of the +body exposed to his rays; but the least breath of wind, which reached +us at intervals, was sufficient to make us shiver with cold. +Farenheit's thermometer in the sun, was two degrees below freezing, +and five and a half in the shade. It must be considered, however, that +we suffered a much greater degree of cold than the thermometer +indicated, from the rapid evaporation from the surface of our bodies, +of the insensible transpiration occasioned by the dryness and great +rarity of the surrounding air. This cause, familiar to physiologists, +affected our sensations, and could not influence the thermometer. Most +of our guides stretched themselves on the snow in the sun, and yielded +to the strong inclination to sleep, which we all felt. Only one or two +of them ate: the others, on the contrary, evinced an aversion to all +kinds of food. We did not suffer the great thirst which Saussure and +his party experienced; This we prevented by drinking vinegar and +water, which was very grateful to us, instead of pure water. Our +pulses were increased in frequency and fulness, and we had all the +symptoms of fever. I occupied myself, notwithstanding the +indisposition to action which I felt, in making a few observations, +and in stopping and sealing very carefully a bottle which I had filled +with the air of the summit, intended for examination on my return. + +The colour of the sky had gradually assumed a deeper tint of blue as +we ascended: its present colour was dark indigo, approaching nearly to +black. There was something awful in this appearance, so different from +any we had ever witnessed. There was nothing to which we could compare +it, except to the sun shining at midnight. During some of the first +attempts that were made to ascend Mont Blanc, this appearance produced +so strong an effect on the minds of the guides, who imagined that +Heaven was frowning on their undertaking, that they refused to +proceed. The portion of atmosphere above us was entirely free from the +vapours which the lower strata always contain, and was truly the 'pure +empyreal,' seldom seen by mortal eyes. We had all our life beheld the +sun through a mist, but we now saw him, face to face, in all his +splendour. The guides asserted that the stars can be seen, in full +day, by a person placed in the shade. It being near noon, and the sun +almost over our heads, we could not find shadow to enable us to make +the experiment. + +The air on the top of Mont Blanc is of but little more than half the +density of that at the surface of the ocean. According to the +observations of Saussure, the height of the barometer on the summit, +was sixteen and a half inches, while that of a corresponding one at +Geneva, was twenty-eight inches. In consequence of this rarity of the +air, a pistol, heavily charged, which we fired several times, made +scarcely more noise than the crack of a postillion's whip. + +We remained an hour and a quarter on the summit, part of which time +was spent in useless regrets at not having waited to provide ourselves +with instruments, as we were now so admirably situated to make with +them a series of interesting experiments. Those which had suggested +themselves, were principally concerning the absorption and radiation +of caloric, and on the degree of cold produced by the evaporation of +aether and other liquids. We found the descent more easy and much less +fatiguing, though perhaps more dangerous than the ascent, on account +of the greater risk of slipping. We passed under the place where the +avalanche threatened us, with even more caution and more rapidity than +before, as we found that a small piece had actually fallen, and +covered our path since we had passed by. We arrived in about an hour +at the 'Grand Plateau,' where we stopped to refresh ourselves, and +gratify our returning appetites. We found the guide whom we had left, +quite relieved. Here the sun, reflected from the walls of snow which +surrounded us on three sides, poured down upon us with the most +burning heat that I ever experienced from its rays, while our feet, +cold from being immersed in the snow, prevented perspiration, and thus +increased its power. Wherever its rays could penetrate, as between the +cap and neckcloth, or even to the hands, it resembled the application +of a heated iron. We were compelled, in addition to the assistance of +our veils, to keep our eyes half closed, and even then the light was +too powerful for them. + +We however continued with ease and cheerfulness our descent, until an +unexpected difficulty occurred. Where in the morning we had cut our +footsteps with an axe, we now found the snow so much softened by the +sun, that we sunk in it every third or fourth step, to the middle of +the body. My friend and myself were more subject to this inconvenience +than the guides, on account of the soles of our boots presenting a +less surface to the snow, than those of their large shoes. After +plunging on in this manner for some time, I began to despair of +reaching our rock, which was yet four or five miles distant: but there +was no alternative but to proceed. We therefore kept on, though with +excessive fatigue. We frequently fell forward, and one limb being +tightly engaged in the snow, was violently twisted, and constantly +liable to be sprained; which in our situation would have been a +serious misfortune. The crevices too were, from their edges having +become softened, more dangerous than before. Perseverance and caution, +however, triumphed over all these difficulties, and we reached the +'Grand Mulet,' half an hour after five, our boots, stockings, and +pantaloons completely soaked. These were immediately stretched on the +rock to dry, which the heat of the sun soon effected. I had the +disappointment to find, on examining my pockets, that the bottle which +I had so carefully filled with the air of the summit, had been broken +in one of my frequent falls, and of course my hopes of making with it +some interesting experiments, were now destroyed. The thermometer was +also broken. + +Notwithstanding the Herculean labour of the day, and the fatigue we +experienced at the time, we had not been long on our rock before we +felt strong and invigorated, as if just risen from a comfortable +night's repose. This effect of the mountain air has often been +remarked. We had even sufficient strength, and ample time to enable us +to continue our descent with ease to Chamouny; but in the present +softened state of the snow it would have been madness to attempt to +cross the glacier, which we had found difficult and dangerous the +preceding day, even before the sun's rays had affected it. In fact, +while two of the guides were looking down on our path over the +glacier, they saw a bridge of snow which we all crossed the day +before, suddenly sink into the chasm beneath. + +Imprisoned thus by the glacier, which was now all that intervened +betwixt us and terra firma, we quietly resolved to remain where we +were, and made the same arrangements for passing the night, as we had +done the evening before. We were, however, at present better off: I +mentioned that we had been so fortunate as to find a sufficient supply +of water in the neighbourhood of our rock, in consequence of which +most of the charcoal, we had brought to melt the snow, remained. With +this we made a small fire at our feet, and by blowing almost +constantly, kept it up during the night. It has been often observed, +that as we ascend in the atmosphere, the difficulty of maintaining +combustion, is proportionably increased. The cold was notwithstanding +our fire, so great, that whenever I fell asleep, I was awakened in a +few minutes to shiver and chatter my teeth. Our guides slept in the +open air, huddled as close together as possible. + +July 13th.--The dawning of the day was truly welcome, as it promised a +near termination to our toils and suffering, while the gratification +of having accomplished a difficult and interesting object remained as +a recompense. We left our hard bed without reluctance, and were +impatient at the slowness with which the guides made their +preparations in packing up their numerous articles. We began to +descend as the sun illumined the white top of Mont Blanc, but long +before his beams penetrated below. Above our heads the sky was +perfectly clear, while the vallies beneath, and all except a few of +the highest surrounding mountains, were concealed by a sea of clouds. +The appearance of the clouds when seen from above is singular; they +resemble immense floating masses of light carded cotton. We retraced +our path of the first day, and took the same precaution as then of +tying ourselves together. When the sun's rays began to shine on the +snow around us, I found that my eyes were so much inflamed, I could +scarcely bear them sufficiently open to see the path; notwithstanding +the gauze veil I had constantly used, my face was in a terrible +condition: the outer skin had fallen, rendering my chin and lips one +continued sore. Doctor Van Rensselaer's eyes were in a worse condition +than mine, and his face nearly as bad. + +At one part of the glacier where the snow had been so hard at our +passing, that our feet left no impression, we lost our path, which was +a misfortune, as we had chosen a much better path in ascending, than +we could have done in descending. We however fell in with the track of +two chamois, which our guides followed with confidence, relying on the +instinct, which they attribute to these animals, of finding a +practicable path over the most difficult glaciers. When we had at last +past the glacier, our feet seemed to rejoice at once more touching +firm ground; and we felt as if returning to the world from a distant +voyage. The rest of our task offered no difficulty, being a constant +descent down the rocky mountain side, except what was occasioned by +our almost total blindness, and the pain we suffered in our eyes. It +was however very fatiguing, as the descent from a mountain is +generally more so than the ascent to it. We stopped at the same +Chalet, where two days before we had bid adieu to the world; and were +regaled by the old man and his daughters with another delicious +draught of milk and cream. We reached the village soon after ten +o'clock in the morning, having been absent fifty-three hours, during +forty-five of which we were on the ice. We were received with many +congratulations by the honest villagers, who had taken considerable +interest in our success. + +As soon as my companion and myself reached our inn, we buried +ourselves in our chamber, to enjoy the luxury of a bed, and of +darkness, which was necessary for our eyes. It was not until the sun +had set, and the twilight was not too strong for them, that we +ventured out to regale ourselves with a comfortable meal. Two English +visitors, who had watched with a glass our progress on the top of Mont +Blanc, had expressed a determination to follow our example; but our +account of the difficulties we met with, and still more the view of +the condition we were in, soon induced them to abandon the design. We +walked out at the approach of night under the "Needles," and as we saw +these rocks, on whose sides + + -------- the clouds + Pause to repose themselves in passing by, + +and on whose tops the stars seemed to rest, we could scarcely realize +the idea that they were the same we had seen only thirty hours before, +far below our feet. + +The next day after our return to Chamouny, our eyes had become so much +stronger, that we were enabled, without much inconvenience, to proceed +to Geneva, where we have since remained to recover from our +sufferings. Though now more than a week has elapsed, my face is yet +much inflamed; but my eyes have regained their usual strength. Dr. Van +Rensselaer has suffered in the same manner, but on the whole rather +less than myself. Wherever the sun's rays could penetrate, even behind +the ears to the level of the neckcloth, the skin has fallen off, and I +have exchanged the tawny hue of an Italian and Sicilian sun, for the +fair complexion of a German or Englishman. We have purchased perhaps +too dearly the indulgence of our curiosity; but at present, when the +difficulties are passed, and the gratification remains, I cannot +regret our hardships, especially if I succeed in making you partake of +the one, without suffering from the other. + + +THE END. + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES + + +1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_. + +2. The following misprints have been corrected: + "Bourrit" corrected to "Bouritt" (page 12) + "representa-ons" corrected to "representations" (page 15) + "breath" corrected to "breadth" (page 20) + "visiters" corrected to "visitors" (page 47) + +3. Other than the corrections listed above, printer's inconsistencies +in spelling and punctuation usage have been retained. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Narrative of a Journey to the Summit +of Mont Blanc, by William Howard + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MONT BLANC *** + +***** This file should be named 32823.txt or 32823.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/8/2/32823/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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