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YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

FROM THE COLLECTION MADE BY
CHARLES SHELDON B.A. 1890
OF BOOKS ON NATURAL HISTORY
EXPLORATION • HUNTING & FISHING

GIFT OF FRANCIS P. GARVAN
B.A. 1 897

Ascents and Adventures

A RECORD OF HARDY MOUNTAINEERING

IN EVERY QUARTER OF THE GLOBE

HENRY FRITH
AUTHOR OF "through FLOOD, THROUGH FIRE," "a RACE FOR LIFE," " THE
MYSTERY OF MOOR FARM," &C., &C.

WITH FIFTY-SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS
Broadway, Ludgate Hill
New York : 9 Lafayetie Place
1S84

UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME IN
SIZE AND PRICE.

ECHOOLBOTS ALL THE WORLD OVEB.
By Henry Frith.
BOYS. By Lady Barker.
HUNTING GROUNDS OP THE OLD
WORLD. By THE Old Shekakry.
MEYBIOK'S PROMISE ; or Little Fugitives
from the Jamaica Rebellion. By E. C.
Phillips.
WITH THE COLOUHS. By R. M. Jephson.
THE ROLL OP THE DRUM. By R. IL
Jephson.

BRADBVRV, AGNEW, & CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

TO
MY BROTHER,
FREDERICK GEORGE FRITH,
THIS BOOK,
IN REMEMBR.\NCE OF MANY ALPINE SCRAMBLES,
ii afffctioitatclj) Stlftcatta
BY THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

The following pages do not profess to be a record
of our own personal adventures. They include many
experiences of a varied character in Europe, Asia,
and America ; but while making use of the narratives
and notes of more experienced climbers, without copy
ing their work, we have in some cases embodied the
spirit of it, and fixed it in our pages for the amusement,
and it may be for the instruction, of young people.
Our own " mountaineering " has been confined to a
few modest ascents in Switzerland, but we have so
thoroughly enjoyed our little climbs in the bracing
air of the Cantons, that when this volume was pro
jected we gladly grasped the opportunity of recording
the adventures of great climbers in a wider sphere
than the " Playground of Europe."
The work thus includes some of the most important
and venturesome ascents ever made. We have not
added Mr. Whymper's accounts of his South American

vi PREFACE.
tour, as it has been so lately published ; but we have
derived assistance from the " Alpine Journal " and
kindred publications, which has, we believe in every
instance, been acknowledged in the text.
The composition of the Book has been to us a labour
of love. We have lived over again the many happy
weeks spent on the European continent on the moun
tain paths and slopes. There the grandeur of Nature
and the might of the Creator can be only truly appre
ciated ; so, we think, we can do no better than bid our
young readers to go and do likewise — to go and read,
mark, and learn the secrets, and enjoy the silent but
eloquent companionship ofthe "Everlasting Hills."
HENRY FRITH.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCTORY  II
IL THE ALPS. — THE STORY OF LE MONT BLANC . . . I9
III. THE REVENGE OF LE MONT BLANC  Z<)
IV. THE GLACIERS OF MONT BLANC. — THE MER DE GLACE. —
THE COL DU GliANT AND THE AIGUILLES.— AN ACCI
DENT  39
v. THE CONQUEST OF TIIE AIGUILLE VERTE AND THE
AIGUILLE DU DRU  54
VI. THE STORY OF THE MATTERHORN  6$
VII. THE ASCENT AND THE RETURN ... '74
VIII. SOME LATER ADVENTURES ON THE CERVIN . . . . 84
LX. SOME REMARKS ON AVALANCHES, AND ACCIDENTS CAUSED
BY THEM  91
X. A PAGE OF HISTORY  107
XI. THE PYRENEES. — AN ADVENTURE  113
XII. AN 'ADVENTURE IN THE PYRENEES  120
XIII. SOME NARROW ESCAPES AND A TRAGEDY . . . .127
XIV. INTO THE HEART OF THE HARTZ  I3S
XV. A CLASSICAL MOUNTAIN  144
XVL THE CAUCASUS ... ... .149
XVII. ELBURZ AND ARARAT  IS8
XVIII. THE SUMMIT OF ARARAT. — MOUNT ARGEUS. — MOUNT
SINAI  169
XIX. INDIA. — THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS.— 'SOURCE OF THE
GANGES  177

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XX. SOME ADVANTAGES OF TRAVEL IN TIIE HIMALAYA. —
riG-STICKING. — AN ADVENTURE 
THE ABODE OF SNOW. — THE WESTERN HIMALAYA .
DARJILING. — DR. HOOKER's EXPEDITION. — A TERRIBLE
ADVENTURE 
PIETER BOTTE IN THE MAURITIUS ....
XXIV. THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. — THE ROCKY MOUNTAIXS. —
COLORADO, AND ITS PEAKS 
XXV. THE CANONS OF THE COLORADO RIVER ....
XXVI. FROM CHEYENNE TO SACRAMENTO. — THE SIERRA
NEVADA 

XXI.
XXII.

XXIII.

XXVIL THE SIERRAS. — MOUNT TYNDALL AND ITS PERILS. —
MOUNT SHASTA  . .
XXVIII. THE YOSEMITE AND THE YELLOWSTONE. — WONDERLAND
XXIX. .MR. everts' ADVENTURE (concluded) . . . .
XXX. SOME MEXICAN iMOUNTAINS. — POPOCATAPETL AND ITS

XXXI.

XXXIII.
XXXIV.

ORIZABA. — M. DOIGNON S AND B.\RON
VENTUROUS EXPEDITIONS .

-Ml'LI.ERS AD-

TIIE ANDES. — MR. EDWARD WHY.MPER's ASCENTS. —
CHIMBORAZO, AND TIIE VOLCANOES OF TIIE COR
DILLERAS 
"A RAILROAD IN THE CLOUDS" 
A LAST GLANCE AT THE CORDILLERAS.— TIERRA DEL
FUEGO.— THE AUSTRALIAN ALPS,— CONCLUSION . .

187
195
202212
221
240
246261272
276
287
29S
307312

LIST OF PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.

PACE
CHAMOUNI : GLACIER DES BOSSONS, MT. BLANC . . . .21
AIGUILLE DU GISANT ...  47
CROSSING A SNOW BRIDGE  59
THE MATTERHORN AND ZERMATT .,  69
THE MONTE ROSA HOTEL AND CHURCH, ZERMATT . . . 8l
A PEEP AT THE PIC  IO3
THE devil's bridge : ST. GOTHARD  I09
IN THE PYRENEES  IlS
THE SPECTRE OF THE BROCKEN  I4I
MOUNT ARARAT  1^5
MOUNT SINAI  •173
BUDDHIST TEMPLE AT THE SOURCE OF THE GANGES . . . 183
VIEW OF THE OUTER HIMALAYA  197
THE PIETER BOTTE  215
AN AMERICAN RAILROAD VIADUCT  225
CLEAR CREEK CANON  23I
THE CANON OF THE COLORADO  243
b

X LIST OF PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
THE SIERRA  25 1
A MONARCH OF TIIE RANGE . . ... . 257
THE YOSEMITE FALL  263
POPOCATAPETL ...  283
TIERRA DEL FUEGO  . 295
GLACIERS OF .MOUNT COOK  3I3
MOUNT EGMONT  317

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
A GREAT many years ago, when I was a little
boy, I lived in Dublin. Anyone who knows that
city on the Anna Liffey knows — or should know
— the appearance of the Three-Rock Mountain
overlooking the picturesque village of Dundrum.
This hill is one of the Dublin Range, and is easily
distinguished by the three masses of rock with
which it is crowned.
My ambition at twelve years of age was to
climb this mountain alone and unaided. It rises
slopingly, and the base is about five miles or so
from the' outskirts of the Irish capital. One fine
morning, during holiday-time, I started off, and
with only some bread-and-butter in my pocket, I
began my journey. I had then only lately been
presented with a silver hunting watch, and wore
it proudly ; but this excellent timekeeper gave me
much uneasiness during the day.

12 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
The road was lonely, and before I reached the
base of the mountain I was the sole occupant of
the country road. As I plodded on I encountered
a sturdy Irish tramp, a young man about sixteen
years old, who asked me for alms, and " the time
o' day, av I plazed." I refused the former, but
complied with the latter request, foolishly consult
ing my watch to confirm my estimate of the
hour of the day. The eyes of the tramp glistened ;
at least I suppose they glistened ; for, to be candid,
I don't think I remarked upon that circumstance
at the time, but I noticed that he approached
cautiously towards me. I, half fearing, moved
onwards, and just then a man approached across
the field adjacent. I hurried on, and, without
seeing any more of the tramp, managed to ascend
the mountain, and, amongst the granite boulders,
ate my luncheon ravenously.
I was still in the enjoyment of some crust, when
I heard the noise of a falling stone, and, looking
up, beheld, at a short distance from me, the juvenile
tramp, evidently looking for me — aud my watch !
I had so far escaped his observation, and his
stone-throwing was, I believe, aimless ; but I was
the object of his search, no doubt. Stooping,
I crept round the largest of the boulders, and
wedged myself tightly within the aperture over
hung by a great slab which effectually con
cealed me.
The boy came quietly along, and passed close

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 13
to me. My heart beat loudly ; I was terribly
frightened. All alone on the mountain, my parents
probably quite ignorant of my whereabouts, I
fancied all kinds of horrors, amongst which robbery
was as nothing. After a time, however, the tramp
gave up the search, and I saw him descending,
looking about him as he went. I did not venture
to stir until I saw him trudging along the high
road far below me, and then I left my hiding-piace
as the rain-clouds came up from the county Wick
low and pursued me home.
That was my very first adventure on a moun
tain. I have had some since in other mountains,
but I don't think I have ever been so alarmed as
I was then.
As I returned that afternoon, I declared to
myself that I would never venture up another
mountain — a resolution, I am thankful to say, I
had not sufficient decision of character to abide
by ; for I have been up many mountains since,
and tumbled down one at least.
But I also wondered what was the use of
mountains. What good did they do ? when were
they first piled up ? did they grow, or were they
shot up by earthquakes as islands are ? These
were some of the questions I, as a boy, and after
wards, asked ; and as perhaps some other boys
would like to know something about mountains
before they (the boys, I mean) accompany me up

U ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
a few on paper, I will briefly enumerate some of
the uses of our " everlasting hills."
My own first enquiry was met with the reply
that the mountains were " for fellows to get a
view from," a maxim lately adapted to mean that
mountains were made to be climbed by Alpine
Clubmen. But there are other and even more
elevated uses than this. Mountains give us rivers
and replenish them ; they afford a resting-place
to animals which would otherwise be destroyed ;
they affect our climate and shelter us from winds ;
and we should have no lakes nor springs without
our mountains. When we carry all these facts to
their consequences, we see how useful mountains
are. The great use of mountains is to distribute and
collect water for our benefit. The vapours strike
the lofty peaks and, being condensed, descend as
rain or snow. The windward side ma}' therefore
enjoy a very wet climate, the farther side a dry
one. Snow lies and will not melt above a certain
altitude. But the origin of mountains is a very deep, or
shall we rather say lofty question ? And it is not
a question of how the heavens and the earth were
made — about that there can be no question — but
we may enquire about the structure of the earth,
and how the gigantic forms which we see tower
ing thousands of feet into the air assumed those
shapes and became so elevated above the surface

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 15
of our globe. The proper study of geology
should lead our minds to the grandeur of Nature,
and a true admiration and reverence for the
Almighty Power, which was in existence " before
the mountains were brought forth."
o
There are two theories advanced respecting
the origin of mountains : upheaval, — or those
produced from the crust of the earth by the action
of hidden fire, — and the theory of erosion by
glacier action. I have used the term " crust of
the earth," but it will be as well to say what that
crust is, for, like other " crusts," it has been
repeatedly broken.
The earth's crust is composed of rocks, and
these are divided into two kinds — viz., the
" Unstratified " or Plutonic, and the " Stratified "
or Sedimentary. The former lie lowest, — unless
they have been upheaved by fire, — and at some
time or other, some number of thousands of years
before man appeared on the globe, were in a fused
or melted condition ; and when in process of time
they became cooler they formed granite, serpen
tine, and other hard rocks, which thus became
\}ci.^ first " crust of the earth." Such rocks form the
mountains in North Wales, Scotland, and Cumber
land, which are therefore the oldest in the world.
No remains of animals have been found amidst
this crust ; so we may conclude that at that remote
period the " earth was without form and void, and
darkness was upon the face of the deep."

i6 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
The Sedimentary rocks, as their name denotes,
are deposited rocks, and, lying in strata, take
certain forms and are given certain names, and
are found to contain animal and vegetable remains.
These stratified rocks are divided into ten " for
mations," each consisting of a number of " layers,"
every layer to the geologist indicating a different
period in the existence of the world. These are
classed for convenience into four great Ages, in
cluding certain layers.
The First or Primary Age shows us that the
Fish had it all to themselves in those days. No
animal breathing air is now supposed to have
existed at that period. Worms, polyps, and such
animals as corals, doubtless existed ; but the true
" air-breathing " animal, the biped and the quad
ruped, had not come into existence.
The Secondary Age, when reptiles appeared.
Immense crocodiles and such animals were then
in existence and the iguanodon flourished, his tail
particularly. In the Third or Tertiary Age, mammalia first
appeared, and probably took command of creation
until —
The Fourth or Modern Age, when M.\n, the
most perfect animal, was brought forth, and has
ever since kept all the others in subjection in
accordance with the Divine command.
We have only to study these successive periods
to infinitely increase our faith in God. From

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 17
the most remote ages, says Professor Hughes,
" Man is the end towards which all the animal
creation has tended." By the successive periods
in the world's life, all the minerals and provision
for Man's benefit were stored, for thousands of
years in advance, and were ready for him when
he was created " in the image of God."
But to return to our mountains. Thousands of
years ago a great part of Europe and America at
any rate was covered by enormous floating ice
bergs. Winter was upon the earth, glaciers were
formed, and in the course of ages these enormous
masses of ice, pressing onwards and downwards,
scooped out their channels, carrying immense
rocks with them, grinding and chiselling. Then
the action of water was, and is also continually,
wearing away rock and earth : the valleys get
deeper, the peaks higher in proportion. In the
great Glacial period probably the whole world
was full of icy rivers, and Dr. Joseph Hooker
tells us that the great Himalaya glaciers formerly
descended many thousand feet below their present
level ; in other words, the denudation, or wearing
away, has raised the mountains about five thousand
feet higher above sea level.
Switzerland, Wales, England, and America,
each and all bear similar evidence that, thousands
of years ago, ice furrowed up our rising grounds,
and converted them into valleys as the waters
subsided. It is supposed that at one time Britain

i8

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

was united to America, and that about thirty-five
thousand years have been consumed in the process
of separation ! Can we contemplate these things
without awe and reverence ? We can only guess
at these epochs, after all. Pages of interesting
information could be compiled from such learned
men as Professor Hu.xley, Sir Charles Lyell, and
other philosophers, but here we have only been
iible to glean from a far-off field a few straws for
our boy readers.

CHAPTER II.
THE ALPS.  THE STORY OF LE MONT IJL.VNC.
MoNT Blanc came into notice first when two
English travellers — Messrs. Pococke and Wind
ham — visited Chamouni in 1743. In those days
there were no facilities for tourists ; there were no
excursion tickets ; and indeed for many years the
inhabitants of Geneva had looked upon Le
Prieure, as Chamouni is still occasionally called,
as the haunt of beinsfs doomed to live amid ice
and snow for their sins.
We need not go back to the ancient Benedictine
Priory, founded about the time when William II.
was King of England, to learn anything about
the ascent of Mont Blanc, the terrible snow
mountain. No one cared to ascend it. There
it was : why go up ? As many people say now,
what is the use ? But the approach to Le Prieure
was difficult enough in those days and even after
wards, as Mr. Windham's narrative shows.
On the 19th of June, 1743, eight travellers and
five servants started from Geneva to reach the

20 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
" Glaciers." All were well armed, and there were
many sumpter mules with provisions and a tent.
They journeyed by Bonneville and Cluses and
across the Arve. It appears that these gentlemen
were the introducers of the pistol-firing Alpine
fraternity, for they awakened the echoes as they
proceeded " by firing pistols and cracking whips."
At length they reached Chamouni, and inquired
about the " Glaciers " and the modes of ascent,
which appeared difficult.
But notwithstanding the opposition of the Prior
of the Valley, our adventurous tourists made up
their minds to try. They went so far as' to carry
" candles and instruments " to make a fire in case
of their being overcome by fatigue, or having to
camp out. The whole arrangement of the excur
sion reflects great credit upon these pioneers of
the Alpine Club. They made excellent rules as
to pace, speed, and refreshment, no wine being
allowed unless mixed with water, a precaution
still necessary upon high-level excursions.
The travellers started at noon on the 22nd of
June, rather a different hour from that now gener
ally adopted, and apparently climbed up the (now)
well-trodden Mont-Anvert, and got down upon the
Mer de Glace. What Columbus was to geogra
phers Messrs. Windham and Pococke must have
been to Alpine climbers. They went upon the
ice and noticed the " cracks " — we call them cre
vasses now-a-days in our civilization — they walked

CHAMOUNI : GLACIER DES BOSSONS, MT. BLANC,

2 2 -1 SCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
with poles having sharp points at the end, though
it does not appear they burned the name of the
place upon them.
These gentlemen returned safely, and spread
abroad their adventure. Although they encoun
tered no difficulties nor ran any risks, they suc
ceeded in initiating the taste for Alpine ex
cursions, which had so far developed in 1786
that hotels were established, and these were
" hardly able to contain the crowd of strangers "
who came thither " from all parts of the globe "
(De Saussure).
Even De Saussure appears at one time to have
looked upon Mont Blanc as inaccessible, and
although certain enterprising guides or peasants of
Le Prieur6 ventured upon the snow slopes to a
considerable height, the great philosopher him
self did not attempt the ascent. And so Mont
Blanc remained unconquered, rearing its haughty
head above the valley, and sending down ava
lanches to dare mortals to attack it on its own
ground. But De Saussure was not to be humbled by any
mountain, and on the 13th of September, 1785,
his party started to do their utmost. A small hut
had been erected in anticipation of their arrival at
the Aiguille de Goute. It was not a commodious
house at that elevation, nor was it altogether free
from draughts. Some of the party complained of
sickness, but De Saussure himself was charmed b\-

.ISCEiVTS AND ADVENTURES. 23
the scene. However, fortune did not smile upon
this brave attempt. We think it sometimes rash
and foolish, now, for comparatively experienced
climbers to try to scale an unknown peak, but
these men were almost entirely new at the work.
They were impelled by love of science, and no
daily papers told their exploits, or cannon thun
dered at their ultimate expense outside the Hotel
de Londres which even then existed.
The dawn of success was now rapidly approach
ing, and De Saussure began to "see his way " to
the summit. He told Balmat, Couttet, and
another, to investigate the state of the snow.
They accordingly ascended, and after a terrible
climb they managed to reach the Dome, and actu
ally met other guides who had ascended in another
direction. Amongst that party of explorers was a native
of the valley and a man not on good terms with
the others. He had joined himself to the explor
ing party, and in spite of all hints and menaces to
the contrary notwithstanding, he had followed in
the traces of the other Chamouni men. Time
after time he was warned back ; time after time
unassisted and practically alone did Jacques Balmat
doggedly mount the great white mountain. He
joined them at the great ridge which connected
the Dome de Gout6 with the still distant summit
— but was the Jonah of the party — he was sacri
ficed.

24 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
A snowstorm arose and the terrible hail beat
fiercely upon the hardy mountaineers.
" Let us return ! " they cried. " This Mont
Blanc is raising its ghosts and fiends to beat us
back ; the storm-fiend is abroad — let us hasten
down ! "
" But Jacques Balmat ? " said one, timidly.
" Let him alone ; he is not of our party," was
the cruel reply. " Let him find his way down as
he found his way up — after us ! "
So Jacques was not told of their intentions.
He was just then occupied in his search for some
rare crystals which, beneath the rock, required his
attention. He found his crystals and, recovering
himself, looked around. The storm was rushing
down the mountain, the gusts of wind nearly tore
him from his position and —
He was alone ! Solitary.
Alone on the unknown and terrible mountain —
the home of evil spirits — the Monts Maudits.
Alone in a storm, ice and snow around him ob
literating his tracks, and far beyond human
aid. Fourteen thousand feet above the sea, and
alone !
Vainly did Jacques Balmat endeavour to return
to Chamouni : unassisted, such a course was
difficult under the most favourable circumstances ;
but in such weather, and with night advancing
rapidly, it would have been suicidal. He had
very little choice : — either die in the descent or

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

25

die up there, frozen to death during the night.
There was a slight chance in his favour if he
remained and kept warm !
Kept warm up there, above the snow-line, in
the night !

GLACIER DES BOIS.

He had heard of Greenlanders living in their
snow huts, and knew that snow can be built up as
a shelter. He immediately clambered under the
lee of a rock, and without much difficulty, though
not without labour which at that height Avas dis-

26 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
tressing, Balmat managed to build up a snow
shelter from the storm.
How he passed that night we may imagine but
very faintly. Picture him : the only human being
who has ever been in such a position, probably ;
high up the mountain in the deadly solitude — and
those who have passed a night or two up in the
snowfields know how awful the silence is at night,
after the frost has locked the portals of the ice and
snow, and Nature sinks to rest almost in the
clouds. The thousand welcome sounds of the
valleys are here unheard ; Death reigns supreme ;
the unearthly stillness is unbroken, and desolation
is " writ large " upon the mountain peaks. Add
to this his weariness and his superstitious terrors,
the phantom shapes which would assail his over
wrought brain, and we "have a source of wonder
that he lived, and lived a sane man, throughout
the night.
At length a streak of giant's fingers across the
sky, behind the great peaks of the Oberland, far
away, told the lonely watcher that day was at hand.
He moved from his shelter; but though he stirred
he could not feel his limbs. His hands at length
grew better, but his feet were without sensation —
frost-bitten !
Jacques Balmat was a hero. Instead of re
turning to Chamouni that clear bright morning,
he devoted himself, crippled as he was, to a further
survey of the mountain. His efforts were sue-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 27
cessful. He found out the direct course to the
top, clearly traceable ; this route is still generally
used as far as the plateau. Balmat then made his
way down to Chamouni, and, without disclosing
his secret, went home — and to bed — and for many
weeks lay incapable of rising.
His medical attendant. Doctor Paccard, was all
this time unremitting in his attentions to the sick
man ; and one day, when recovery seemed very
near, Balmat told the doctor that he had a secret
to impart to him, and after a stipulation as to the
confidence reposed in him, Paccard was entrusted
with the news.
They agreed to go up together without any
other aid than their own sturdy limbs and stout
hearts. On the 7th of August they started. They slept
on the mountain that night. Next morning they
resumed their route, and though suffering very
severely persisted. At about three in the after
noon they reached the summit, the first human
beings who had trodden upon those virgin snows.
The explorers were seen on the top, and at eight
o'clock next morning when they reached Cha
mouni, quite worn out, and blistered with the sun's
rays acting on the snow, they found themselves
famous. The White Mountain had been conquered by
. stern pluck and resolution.
They were the pioneers of the Alpine Club, the

28 ASCEN'/'S .IND ADVENTURES.
forerunners of a race of mountain climbers, who
now number hundreds, and who sigh like so many
Alexanders for new worlds (of snow and ice) to
conquer. However, Mont Blanc had to take its revenge,
and it did so, as we shall see later.

CHAPTER III.
THE REVENGE OF LE MONT BLANC.
De Saussure ascended Mont Blanc with im
punity. He accomplished his wish — a wish which
had been dominant for twenty-seven years in his
mind. He was then happy, though in the account
of his travels he speaks of his success as a painful
sensation when he reflected upon what he had not
done. I think that is much the same sensation
which we all experience in after life.
In 1 787 he determined to make another attempt
upon Mont Blanc, and was advancing towards
Chamouni for that purpose, when he encountered
the brave Jacques Balmat who had already van
quished the Monarch, as we know.
Balmat's success fired De Saussure, and he
accordingly pushed on to Chamouni only to find
the weather worthy of 1879 (in anticipation), and
nothing could be done. For four weary weeks
the philosopher philosophically waited for a fine
day, but it was not until August that the break
occurred. Accompanied by a body -servant and no less

30 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
than eighteen guides carrying scientific apparatus
and baggage, De Saussure ascended.
The first day's work was about six hours. On
the second they found more difficulty, and one of
the guides had a very narrow escape from falling
into a cre\asse. That evening the travellers
reached the second plateau, and some of them
suffered considerably from the cold and from the
rarity of the atmosphere, which made breathing
difficult, though De Saussure says, that he suffered
from "heat and closeness of the air," in conse
quence of the tents having been so closely fas
tened up.
Next day, at eleven o'clock, they reached the
summit, and thus the hope of years was accom
plished. Notwithstanding the feeling of sickness,
De Saussure remained upon the summit making
observations until half-past three. The descent
was accomplished in safety, and upon the fourth
day, early, they reached Chamouni in good health
and spirits.
That the difficulties were neither few nor trifling
the narrative plainly intimates ; the aspect of the
glacier in descending had quite changed, and the
route traversed on the ist, could not be ascertained
upon the 4th of August.
The meeting in the valley was a happy one, as
all the relatives and friends of the adventurous
party turned out to welcome them, and great was
the rejoicing at their safe return.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 31
Another very interesting ascent, and also valu
able, like De Saussure's, from a scientific point of
view, was made in 1844 by Messrs. Martin Bravais
and De Pileur ; but our space will not permit us
to do more than refer to it.
After De Saussure many adventurers gained
the summit, and the mountain good-naturedly
permitted itself to be played with, although it
occasionally reminded travellers that the symp
toms of sea-sickness were not confined to the
sea level. This nausea is one of the most un
pleasant sensations of the climber. Even at the
Gorner Grat I have suffered from it, under certain
physical conditions, and then the feeling has
suddenly passed away ; but it is very unpleasant
and might be dangerous if it overtook one in a
critical spot.
However, Mont Blanc is now looked upon as a
regular tourist beat ; andin 1820, when Dr. Hamel
made his ascent, it was becoming the thing to do
if possible. This gentleman had some important
observations to make ; and so, in company with a
Geneva philosopher and two young Englishmen
and a dozen guides, the doctor determined to try
his fortune on the mountain.
The Grands Mulets is the first stage now, and — ¦
on that occasion, at any rate — it appears to have
been the halting-place. The route is so well
known that it is perhaps scarcely necessary to in
dicate it. Nevertheless a hurried sketch of the

32 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
way up may not be unacceptable to young
people. The first portion of the way, as far as the hotel
at Pierre Pointue, can be accomplished on mule-
back. For amateurs, a night's rest there will be
beneficial, so that a start may be made at an early
hour next morning. About an hour and a half
from the hotel a rock known as La Pierre de
I'Echelle is reached. Then the Glacier des Bos-
sons is entered on, and as soon as the couloir is
passed — and the sooner the better — the snow is
gained, and the glacier is surmounted with consi
derable exertion to untried lungs and heads.
Now the sheaf of pointed rocks known as the
Grands Mulets is attained, and here is a hut. Im
mediately before the traveller is the Dome du
Goute. You can remain all night at the Grands
Mulets, if desirable. Thence to the summit Ave
cross the Glacier du Tacconay, and climb the
Petites Montees to the Small Plateau. Another
great " step " lands us upon the Grand Plateau,
dominated by the "Red Rocks." Frequent ava
lanches sweep this portion of the route. It was
here that the accident occurred to Doctor Hamel's
party. The more usual way now includes the
steep Mur de la Cote, Avhere steps are cut in the
ice slope. Thence the summit is reached with
comparative ease ; and when you get there the
view is less interesting than from the Rio-hi,
although the feeling of being up so high, and the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 33
grand, if indistinct, panorama, compensate for
many drawbacks.
Doctor Hamel and his party were detained at
the Grands Mulets by bad weather. A tremendous
thunderstorm lasted half the night, and it was not
till the second morning that they could proceed.
The party were just ascending the " Red
Rocks." Mr. Durnford, whose account is gene
rally quoted, says he was arranging his veil, and
the others passed him. None of them were tied,
when the snow suddenly gave way " beneath their
feet." It slid away much in the same way as it
did when Mr. Gossett so nearly lost his life, 'and
Bennen was killed, on the Haut de Cry in the
Valais, of which more anon.
This slipping of the snow would in itself have
been of little consequence had not the soft snow
above moved to fill the vacant space. An ava
lanche was thus formed, the whole party were
carried down to the yawning crevasse. Mr. Durn
ford was unhurt, and confesses even to a feelino-
of amusement, until someone cried out that some
of the guides had perished. Three of the men
had been engulfed, and this notwithstanding every
effort made to rescue them. The remainder of
the party descended to Chamouni in a state of
mind easily to be conceived. So the poor fellows
perished. But nothing is lost in the ice. Held in that firm
grasp, objects are carried down frozen and preserved

34 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
from the action of decay, and the relics of that fatal
expedition have since come to light.
The relics that came to the surface were various.
The grim inventory is given in an early volume
of the Alpine Jotirnal as follows : — •
" Paper ; a bit of alpenstock ; a piece of a
bottle ; the frame of a lanthorn ; and part of a
skull  "
These sad evidences came to light in 1864. So
about forty-three years were consumed in the de
scent of these articles. It is estimated by the same
writer — a member of the Alpine Club — that the
distance travelled by these rehcs was 8513 yards,
or between four and five miles. Two hundred and
twenty-five yards per annum for forty-three years
gives us about twenty-two inches a day, and
this is therefore the daily average motion of a
large glacier.
When the present writer was at Chamouni, in
1865, some other ghastly relics — portions of an
arm and, I believe, a foot also — came to the sur
face, but crumbled into dust very quickly on ex
posure to the air. The moving ice-mass gives up
its dead as surely as the sea will do. The pressure
to which articles are subjected is tremendous,
almost inconceivable ; but the pressure is uniform,
and not distorting in its action.
Since the accident to Hamel's part}', there was
nothing to disturb the serenity of the mountain
until 1864. Two Austrians ascended Mont Blanc

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 35
on the 9th of August. They were returning, and
Couttet, a porter, was in front, but not roped.
He advanced boldly, but incautiously approached
too near the edge of the crevasse ; the snow gave
way and he was engulfed. Every assistance was
rendered to him, but the chasm was ninety feet
deep, as far as the survivors could determine, and
the rope they carried was not sufficiently long to
reach the unhappy man. A gentleman who was
coming down, and who afterwards sent an account
of the accident to the Times, offered his rope, but
without success. They called, but no answer
came back to them from the depths of the crevasse.
Again and again the travellers endeavoured to
render some assistance, but all their efforts were
futile, and at length they continued their descent.
The same evening some guides went up, and
one brave fellow actually descended ninety feet
into the crevasse without finding any traces of his
lost companion. The cold must have been ter
rible, but the man persevered, and at length
lowered a bottle a hundred feet lower. It met
with no resistance, but was drawn up covered with
human hair ! There was now no hope — the poor
porter must long ere this have been frozen to death,
and the search was abandoned.
Several other accidents have occurred since, but
it is not necessary to enumerate them. We have
dwelt thus upon Mont Blanc, not because there is
any tremendous difficulty to be overcome in its

.16

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

ascent, but because the ascent of Mont Blanc
whetted the appetite for mountain scrambling
which has now reached its climax, The present
generation know more about Alpine peaks, passes,
and glaciers, than their fathers did about England.
The young athlete of the coming generation will

cm, DU GKANT.

find no Alpine worlds to conquer. The Andes
and other grand mountain chains will have no
terrors for our hardy Alpine Clubmen ; and now
that the apparently inaccessible Matterhorn is
annually scaled at times even by ladies, and the
perpendicular Aiguille du Dru has been so pluckily
vanquished by Mr. Dent, there is little in Europe
left to tempt the experienced climber. But,

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 37
nevertheless, the coming race may benefit by the
narrow escapes, and learn a lesson of pluck and
endurance from a perusal of some of the most
adventurous scrambles. To these we propose to
introduce them.
But, perhaps, before going farther, it may be as
well to give the uninitiated some information as to
glaciers, crevasses, ndv^, moraines, seracs, couloirs,
bergschrunds, cornices, terms which will constantly
be met with, and ignorance of which may deprive
the youthful reader of a full appreciation of the
dangers and difficulties he is likely to encounter.
For Alpine mountain-climbing is no child's play.
Though we ourselves cannot claim any varied or
great experience, a sojourn of many successive
seasons, and part of some winters, amongst the
Swiss mountains, has made us acquainted with the
general features of Alpine scenery, and given us a
vivid impression of the beauties of the peaks and
passes. We have had our tumbles and one or
two escapes. Crossing deep snow in early June
from the Grimsel to the Rhone valley, without a
guide, over the unknown track, and a scramble or
two about Zermatt, with the usual holiday walks
to the Jardin and Col du Geant and several other
like excursions, joined to a full course of Alpine
literature, constitute all the training we have had.
It is with no want of reverence, however, that we
" rush in " to describe, or to attempt to describe,
the many and brave adventures of well-known

38 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
climbers. We only wish to bring before the
young reader some of the most striking scenes in
mountain history, to instruct as well as to amuse ;
to encourage youth to seek the enjoyment of some
of the finest scenery in the world ; while we warn
them not to venture upon any expedition, how
ever easy it may appear, without a companion, if
not a professional guide. Some travellers, like
Mr. E. Whymper and Mr. Girdlestone, go up
alone, but such men are well versed in all the
changing tempers of the mountains, and unite
caution to daring.
With these few remarks, we will now resume
the thread of our discourse and open a fresh chap
ter with a short description of some of the prin
cipal objects of interest and physical features of
the mountains.

CHAPTER IV.
the glaciers of mont BLANC.  THE MER DE
GLACE.  THE COL DU GEANT AND TIIE AI
GUILLES.  AN ACCIDENT.
Everybody who has ever been to Chamouni
has visited the Mer de Glace, and a great many
who have not been to Savoy know the appear
ance of that extensive glacier. But as I am
writing for young readers, and as I wish them to
learn something from these notes of adventure, I
will endeavour to describe a glacier, and its sur
roundings. A glacier, then, is a frozen torrent — a mass- of
moving ice, descending slowly but surely, always
melting, always renewed. The rate at which
glaciers move varies, but the progress can be
ascertained ; the Glacier of Miage moved 250
feet in one year, and this is frequently exceeded.
As the ice moves it carries with it stones and
sometimes immense masses of rock. We often
see blocks of stone in our mountain valleys in
England or Wales. These have been probably
transported by the ice long generations ago. The

40 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
p-reat Maen-Bras on the west of Snowdon is an
instance in point, and in Cwm-glas, near Llanberis
Pass, there is a regular moraine which shows the
geologist that an immense glacier must formerly
have existed in the valley.
A moraine is the name given to the rubbish
thrown out by the glacier, which remains at its
outflow when the ice is melted. These moraines
also extend at the sides, and they are then termed
lateral to distinguish them from terminal moraines.
There is another portion of the glacier which
must be noticed, and as the term frequently occurs
in Alpine literature it is advisable to mention it.
This is the 7idvd, or unconsolidated glacier. The
surface of this ndve is smooth, and extends across
the hollow space between the upper cliffs, while it
awaits its inevitable change into ice. Being so
high up amid the high and almost inaccessible
pinnacles of the mountains, no plants are found.
no wild animal is to be seen, and the natural
termination to this snow-field is the most formid
able of all crevasses — the mighty bergschrtind.
As I have stated in another paper, a schrnnd is a
crevasse, but a bergschrund is a gigantic and
terrible chasm, which often puts a stop to the an
ticipated climb. These, and the moitlins which
can be viewed on the Mer de Glace, are some of
the phenomena of glaciers. The moulins are the
vanishing points of the glacier streams which rush
along their icy beds as an ordinary river might,

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 41
and, after a rapid course, disappear through a hole
in the ice, the depth of which can only be conjec
tured. This swirling stream, as it twists and
flashes out of sight, forms a motilin.
Adventures on the glaciers are by no means un
common, and even somewhat experienced travel
lers are placed in situations of great danger. One
such incident is related by Professor Forbes.
An American traveller had started alone from
the Montanvert to explore the Mer de Glace, and
had managed to scramble up to the crags of
Trelaporte, which are rarely visited. As the day
wore on he attempted to retrace his path, but
made a false step and slipped over a rock. For
tunately his clothes caught on some bushes, and
so far checked his fall that he was enabled to
scramble up to a ledge where, completely sur
rounded by precipices, he remained all night
perfectly solitary amid the terrible silence of the
snow-fields. His situation was most precarious.
The ledge was only about a foot wide ; it thinned
off in one direction and stopped sharply against
an overhanging cliff on the other. He could
never have climbed it unassisted ; and, below, the
precipice went sheer down about two hundred feet
above yawning crevasses of blue ice. The poor
traveller had fortunately been seen by two lads,
who, assisted by a guide, at the imminent risk of
their lives, managed to get him down in safety but
perfectly exhausted.

42 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
The great Mer de Glace possesses two streams
known as the Glacier du Geant and the Glacier
de Ldchaud. The former is sometimes called
Glacier du Tacul. The excursion to the Jardin is
very interesting and not fatiguing, nor dangerous
to average walkers.
The Col du Geant, which forms the crest of
the mountain chain west of the Mer de Glace, is
the passage by which the adventurous traveller
may cross from Chamouni to Cormayeur. It is
only of comparatively late years that the difficul
ties of this pass have been surmounted. De
Saussure reached the Col in 1788, and actually
remained seventeen days upon it, making various
observations which are very valuable. The
people of the Piedmont valleys believed him to
be a sorcerer, and it was actually proposed to send
troops to dislodge him and his attendants, for the
summer proving so very dry, the want of rain was
attributed to his agency.
In i860 a terrible disaster happened upon this
pass. Three English travellers and a guide
perished on the Col du Geant. They had slipped
upon the snow, and, being tied together, dragged
each other along and finally fell over the preci
pice. The circumstances under which this acci
dent happened are as follows, and as described by
Professor Tyndall, who shortly afterwards went
over the Col.
It appears that on the side of a slope of snow

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 43
is a rough rocky ridge, along which the descent is
usually made. The travellers, fearing that the
difficulties of this ridge might prove too great, as
all the party appeared more or less exhausted,
proposed to descend along the snow. Like many
other slopes, it fell off very gradually at first, and
after a time became much steeper. Such a slope
is very deceptive, and to the uninitiated climber
dangerous (as the present writer once learnt above
the Grimsel, after a fall of snow or recent rain).
A glissade down such a slope may result in an
avalanche if the upper surface of snow is not con
solidated. The party in question reached the top of the
Col, but the guides then wished to return, alleging
that a fog was coming on. To this suggestion the
Englishmen refused to agree, and the snow was
entered upon. The party were roped in a
fashion, and as soon as one member of it slipped
he pulled the next man off his legs, and so on till
all were sliding downwards. One guide at the
back and the leading guide had held the rope only
in their hands, and they let it go. They thus saved
their own lives perhaps at the expense of the
others ; but it is difficult to determine whether
they could have arrested the rush down. But
from the narrative I gather that they might have
stopped the fatal glissade.
Still none of the party apparently possessed
sufficient presence of mind to do as a companion

44 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES
of mine did under similar circumstances. We
were once descending a small but rather steep
slope in the Oberland. It was early in July, but
we had no rope, and, trusting to our legs, we
started. A slip on my companion's part jerked
his baton from his hand as he fell on his back.
But with wonderful agility and coolness he at
once turned upon his face, and without any other
leverage or break-power, except his hands, wrists,
and toes, he managed to " pull up " close to the
edge of a very uncomfortable-looking " drop," and
so saved himself. Now, had the poor fellows on
the Col du Gdant made a similar use of their
sticks, or even of their hands, it is most probable
that the fatal termination of the expedition would
not have to be recorded. As it was, however, they
rushed down to a raised ledge of rock, over which
they were " tilted," and in another moment they
were dashed to pieces at the bottom of the preci
pice. The rope in this instance was useless — or worse.
Apropos, I think a few words upon its proper
application, quoted from a former article of mine
on the subject, may serve as a caution to any
young mountaineers amongst ni}- readers.
" When a party are tied together, the rope
must be kept tight between each traveller and his
predecessor. In this case the danger is reduced
to a minimum, for a slip will not pull the follower
down, and the rope being ' taut,' the one slipping

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 45
cannot fall far. But a loose rope is almost as
bad as none at all."
These observations have been tested since I
first penned them, and I venture to think that most
experienced climbers will consider them at any rate
good, if not very good, advice on the subject.
However, I would not advise any unskilled
person to attempt the Col du Geant. For the
bold Alpine Clubman it Is all very well, tiresome
only, perhaps. To an unskilful traveller it is
very dangerous at times, though ladies have
crossed it without extreme difficulty. Ladles have
also scaled Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. A
Russian gentleman was lost on the Col In the
year 1873.
The most tragical event that ever happened on
Mont Blanc, and we believe upon any mountain,
was the terrible loss, a year or two ago, of eleven
persons. Three gentlemen and eight guides set
out to ascend the mountain. They all reached
the summit In safet}^ and had actually commenced
to descend, when suddenly a terrific whirlwind
arose, and in a few moments they were wrapped
in a cloud of snow. There were anxious spec
tators In Chamouni watching their progress, and
the last view of the unfortunate party disclosed
them standing together in a group as if for mutual
protection and warmth ; then the merciless snow
again hid them In a shroud, and they were never
again seen alive.

46 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
The next day passed, and the next, before any
attempt at rescue could be made. Even then the
brave fellows who composed the expedition were
compelled to return and wait for an opening in the
weather. Thus ten days were passed, and at
length a party of fifty set out to recover the
bodies. After a terrible climb amid the storm which still
raged with diminished force, some spots upon the
snoAv were detected. These were five of the
bodies. One was the corpse of an American
gentleman, who had died as he was sitting in the
snow, his head burled in his hands. For two
whole days he had lived, sitting up in the clouds
as it were, in those dread solitudes, no companions
but the dead and dying, no hope to cheer him.
shut In by the snowstorm which closed life to him.
He had made some attempts to trace with his
frozen fingers a few lines In a diary which we
quote here — a melancholy relic of the expedition.
The first entry was made evidently just after the
descent had commenced : —
"We reached the summit at 2.30. Immediately
after having quitted It I found myself in a Avhirl-
wind of snow at 15,000 feet. W^e have passed
the night in a grotto dug in the snow — an un
comfortable asylum — and I haA-e been ill all night.
" September jth : Morning. — Cold very intense.
Much snow. It falls without cessation. Guides
uneasy.

p wt) o '
w. [
> I
S! I
H

4S ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
" September jth : Evening. — We have been on
Mt. Blanc two days in a terrible snow-storm. W^e
are lost, and I have no hope of descending. Per
haps someone will find this book and send It to
you. Then follows a touching message to his AvIfe
and family, and concludes thus : —
" We have no provisions. My feet are already
frozen, and I am exhausted. I have only strength
to write these words. I die belleAdng in Jesus
Christ, with the SAveet thought of my family, my
friendship, and all. I hope A\'e shall meet in
heaven. Yours always  "
This sad record was found beside him. Some
of the ill-fated party AA'ere never discovered, but
some day no doubt they ayIII be carried doAA-n to
the valley by the all-preserving glacier. It is
most melancholy to picture the strong man sitting
waiting for Death ; and Avithout provisions, or any
hope of rescue, sending with his last efforts a
loving farewell to his family and friends, but yet
recording his testlmon)^ to his Saviour.
Five bodies Avere carried back to Chamouni, the
others still remain Avrapped in their shroud of
snoAV upon the terrible White Mountain of Savoy.
Beneath Mont Blanc, on the south-Avest and
south, are the Glacier and Col de Miage, Avhich at
one time Avere considered very difficult, but later
reports are more favourable. Some very interest
ing accounts of the passage of this Col are pre-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 49
served in the archives of the Alpine Club, and to
these papers we are indebted for some of the facts
of the excursion.
The party started from Cormayeur to reach
Chamouni, and entered upon the Glacier, and
after an easy ascent upon it, came in sight of the
Col, which looked anything but promising. A
halt for consideration and breakfast was then sug
gested, and the suggestion was forthwith adopted.
A line of route was decided on, and, after half-an-
hour's halt, a new start was made upwards. The
course was rendered very difficult In consequence
of numerous crevasses, and while the leader of
the party was busy cutting steps, his feet sud
denly slipped, and he as suddenly disappeared
into a crevasse.
The following man carefully peeping doAvn
could discern nothing but the hat and one arm of
his companion, but he had most fortunately and
curiously fallen almost astride of a piece of Ice ; so
fixing his ice-axe firmly Into the wall of the cre
vasse, he managed to sustain himself until a rope
was thrown down, and he was drawn up again,
apparently none the worse. To his presence of
mind. In addition to the providential manner in
which he fell, he oAved his life.
This was a Avarning it would not do to neglect,
but the ascent became still steeper, and the falling
stones from the couloirs or channels in the rocks
became, if monotonous, certainly dangerous. A

so ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
very stiff climb up almost perpendicular rocks
ensued ; and, at length, after some tremendous
scrambling, the Col was reached, the summit
gained, and a successful descent accomplished.
Tavo years later, what might have been and
very nearly was a fatal accident happened upon
this very Col. We have mentioned the couloir or
channel of Ice down which the stones dash head
long. Anyone who has never seen one of these
slippery and fearful corridors in the mountains,
and can fancy a slide at a very steep inclination,
will not have any further Inclination , to try one.
That any living being could fall down one of
these terrible places and live. Is almost incredible,
but the young gentleman I refer to recovered, and
is now, I hope and believe, well and hearty.
It was In July 1861, and the distinguished party
of Alpine climbers quitted the rocky shelter be
neath which they had been passing the night, and
soon after they had gained the summit of the Col
de Miage, one of the party Avas observed to be
missing. An immediate search was Instituted,
and it was observed that his tracks led to the
edge of a terrible ice-slope, and there suddenly
ceased. The conclusion Avas that he had fallen
over the slope, and soon afterwards the unfortu
nate man was descried a long distance beloAV. He
had fallen — as was afterwards ascertained — a dis
tance of nearly eighteen hundred feet in perpen
dicular height !

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 51
When his friends reached him the great diffi
culty was to carry him up and home. And here —
let people say what they will (and some people
will say such things) about the exaggerated way
in which Alpine climbers talk of danger and diffi
culty — here was a case, if ever there was one, in
which pluck and decision were needed. How was
this terribly wounded man to be brought to Cha
mouni ? It Is true no bones were broken, but the
skin of the patient had been in many places fear
fully torn away, and his body presented quite a
raAv appearance. His clothes were stripped from
him by the violence of his fall over hard snow, ancl
his. fingers much mutilated by his eftorts to stop
himself by clutching the snowy surface.
Fancy the pain he must have endured, exposed
as he was to the cold on the glacier, without
clothing or even skin to resist the frost, and you
can imagine his position.
Fortunately his friends — such men as Rev.
Charles Hudson and Rev. Leslie Stephen —
were thoroughly practical mountaineers, and no
time was lost. A sledge had accompanied the
party, boards and runners had been carried piece
meal. These were now united, and the patient
laid thereon, covered with plaids, &c., as Avell as
possible. This was child's play to the ascent. To walk
up a steep snoAv-slope is no joke, particularly
Avhen the snoAV is soft, but to carry a Avounded

52 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
man up when a bearer might at any time go into
the yielding snow up to his knees was no easy
task. Exposure might be death. Haste was
everything, and yet it was impossible to make
haste !
When after great exertions the main body of
the party were united again to their friends, a
guide was sent on for a stretcher ; one of the
friends hurried on to Chamouni for a doctor ;
AvhIle another started to telegraph from St. Gervais
to Geneva for an English physician, and also for
a carriage. Meantime the indefatigable bearers proceeded
over glacier and moraine, over ice and snow, with
scarce a rest. Surrounded at times by preci
pitous rocks, Avalking In the bed of a torrent,
stepping from stone to stone, or even lowering
their wounded fiiend down long steps of rock, the
hardy mountaineers kept ever descending. At
six Bionnay was reached, and there a doctor and
a carriage Avere in Avaiting. At half-past six the
sufferer was in bed at St. Gervais, just ten hours
after he had fallen from the summit of the Miaee.
From half-past nine till half-past six his devoted
companions had attended him, carrying him over
numerous obstacles, and subsequently nursing
him tenderly. The calmness and patience dis
played by the sufferer are represented as beyond
praise. It Avas extremely fortunate that all the con-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

53

ditions of the weather and the snoAv were favour
able to the transport of the half-conscious invalid,
and if the sledge had not been providentially at
hand the consequences might have been fatal.
Under Dr. Metcalfe's care the patient recovered
his strength, but It was some time before he over
came the effects of the shock he had sustained.
The foregoing account is founded upon the
narrative written by the Rev. Charles Hudson,
who Avas in constant and unremitting attendance
upon the patient.'"
* " Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers." 2nd Series,

CHAPTER V.
THE CONQUEST OF THE AIGUILLE VERTE AND THE
AIGUILLE DU DRU.
In June 1865, I started with two friends to
make a little tour in Switzerland, and as we Avere
new at climbing we limited ourselves to such
peaceful and gentle expeditions as we were jus
tified by our youth and Inexperience in attempt
ing. With the laudable intention of seeing as
much of Mont Blanc as possible without any
of the danger and with as little fatigue as might
be, we mounted the Bre vent and Flegere. We
ascended to Montanvert very early one morning
in July, and walked over the Mer de Glace to
the Jardin, and back to the hotel or Inn on the
Montanvert again — and felt better.
We retired pretty early that evening, and Avere
enjoying the sleep of the just — ^just having come
off the ice — when we Avere aroused by much
shouting and cheering, and at length the founda
tions of the house were shaken by the discharo-e
of a small cannon.
There Avas no Avar impending, so Ave had no

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 55
cause to suspect enemies. The Mer de Glace
Avas the only way by which people AA'Ould be
likely to arrive so late, and the cannon announced
that somebody had done something unusual. We
Avere far too modest to attribute the excitement
to our accomplishment, for we had every reason
to believe that the route to the Jardin had been
traversed before we attempted it — and, besides,
the guns would have announced the triumph
sooner had it been ours !
One of my companions and myself were oc
cupying the same room, and we were awake at
once. " What's the matter ? " we asked each other,
but as we were both perfectly ignorant of the
cause of the noise neither was able to give a
satisfactory reply.
Before long a pair of seven-league boots ap
peared to be stamping about for exercise. The
rooms shook and the windows rattled. The
stamping increased sevenfold, and voices joined
in cheering accents of congratulation. Decidedly
the boots (not the gardon but the " leaguers")
had done something wonderful. We could not
sleep, what was to be done ? The pair of boots
before referred to now appeared to have been
joined by other pairs seven times thicker than
itself, and these in concert stamped the inn almost
to pieces. Then a silence.
The popping of corks now broke upon our

56 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
ears, and for this reason perhaps — though I do
not myself think that we were in the least in
fluenced by any feeling but a curiosity to behold
real live mountaineers — we- arose, and hurrying
on our clothes, joined the party in the eating-room.
The landlord and, I think, four travellers were
there, an empty champagne bottle or tAvo accounted
for the corks, and the travellers were accounting
for themselves.
They had scaled the Aiguille Verte, that im
possible-looking pinnacle of rock AvhIch rises amid
so many other apparently impracticable " needles "
above the Montanvert. ^^^e congratulated the
successful climbers Avarmly, which act, as the night
was chilly, was perhaps agreeable to their feelings ;
and then — well then Ave had some champagne.
Why not ?
The travellers, as Ave afterAvards learned, and
recalled with a very melancholy interest, Avere
the Rev. C. Hudson — who Avas killed upon the
Matterhorn a few days afterwards — Mr. Thomas
Kennedy, Mr. Hodgklnson, and their guides ;
Michel Croz I think Avas one. The clergyman
did not remain long up at the Montanvert ; but
Mr. Kennedy stayed and took a bed, Avhich I
fancy one of our party yielded to him.
We turned in, at least two of us did, and next
morning crossed the Mer de Glace, and descend
ing by Argentiere, walked by the Tete Noire to
Martigny.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 57
So far I can speak of this ascent ; and as I have
always taken a great interest in that particular
rock, I subsequently made myself acquainted with
the facts of the case as set forth In the Alpine
Journal as they appeared In 1867.
It seems that Mr. Whymper had previously
scaled this mountain, but we Avere distinctly told
that the travellers we met were the first persons
Avho had reached the summit. This erroneous
information may be accounted for by the ill-feel
ing of the Chamouni guides for Mr. Whymper's
German guides, as stated by Mr. Kennedy in his
account of his ascent.
The difficulties of such an ascent must have
been immense, and Mr. Kennedy says his little
dog which accompanied him all the day " began
to look unhappy." No Avonder : "she could not
walk in any but an up and down direction and
sitting on her hind legs was perfectly impossible."
The party managed to scramble up an icy corner,
but found that progress was in that direction
impossible. Mr. Kennedy describes one part as
follows —
" We climbed up what seemed to be a little
spire of rock rising from the ridge — it was in
reality the end of a level and very sharp section
of it ; along this we balanced ourselves until a
projecting piece of stone caused each in turn to
embrace it with his arms, while his body hung in
mid-air over the Montanvert."

58 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
This must have been a pleasant position.
But by some wonderful mountaineering feats
they all succeeded in reaching the summit ; even
the little dog climbed or was pulled up, and im
mediately and very sensibly went fast asleep on
a knapsack. The descent was almost as perilous,
if not more perilous, than the ascent, and when
the party lost the moon-light they Avere much
distressed, for their eyes were dim and weary
from glare and fatigue. Mr. Kennedy says it
was a wonder none of them tumbled down
a crevasse. "It was almost impossible to see
whether the Ice was level or not, and many a time
we walked against a small hillock of ice — cutting
ourselves against the sharp spikes  My
little dog howled piteously, her bleeding feet
would scarcely let her walk, and our progress was
slow and weary." But, as I have already related,
about two o'clock a.m., the advanced guard of this
very adventurous party arrived at the Montanvert,
and aroused us. The next day they ascended
Mont Blanc to refresh themselves after the sultry
day they had had upon the Aiguille Verte.
Another ascent Avas made from the Glacier of
Argentiere ; and, if I may say so, I prefer this
great glacier to cA^en the Mer de Glace. A Avalk
— and it is a stiff pull up skirting this beautiful
icefall— will well repay the climber. We did not
go very high, being neAv to the work and fearing
to overdo the fatigue if avc penetrated to the

CROSSING A SNOW BRIDGE.

6o ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
upper glacier, but Professor Forbes relates his
experiences, and we certainly enjoyed our ncAV
although somewhat fatiguing scramble in 1870.
The gentlemen who ascended the Aiguille from
the Argentiere Glacier found it a tremendously
difficult climb, but they at length succeeded.
From the summit they could perceive their friends
at the Jardin AvhIch — as perhaps I should have
stated before — is a small green patch of vegeta
tion surrounded by everlasting ice and snow and
situated In the glacier.
The gentlemen at the Jardin Avere, Avhen per
ceived by their friends, indulging in the usual
Alpine luxury of champagne, some of Avhich they
had carried up expressly for the benefit of the
climbers ; who, however, never got it. The de
scent Avas continued through a thunder-storm
AvhIch took advantage of the occasion ; and at
last, half-blinded by lightning and Avet through by
the rain, the venturous travellers reached a hut
and Avaited for daAvn. Daybreak Avas good enough
to appear about the usual time, and the party
reached Chamouni in safety at 10 a.m.
I have not in this instance ventured to give the
details of the ascent, AvhIch to many unacquainted
AvIth the localities Avould be uninteresting as no
special incident marked the expedition. But for
endurance and pluck this ascent avIU be ranked
high. TAventy-two hours severe climbing Avith
scarcely a stop is a long time, and Messrs.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 6i
Middlemore and Maund must be men of no com
mon endurance and pluck to have succeeded in
crossing the mountain as they did.
Before quitting the neighbourhood of the Mer
de Glace, it will be only right to record the success
of Mr. C. T. Dent avIio after two or three unsuc
cessful efforts has at last succeeded In scaling the
Aiguille du Dru.
This adventurous gentleman not only brings to
his task a bold but also a cheerful spirit. His
narrative Is couched in terms of dry humour which
are very amusing, and render his account of his
failures as interesting as that of his success. " The
Aiguille du Dru," he says, " has been photographed,
portrayed In little distorted pictures on work-
boxes, trays and the like, stared at by Cook's
tourists " (for these same tourists, by the way,
Mr. Dent seems to have considerable aversion),
" and otherwise insulted as often as any mountain
in the chain, Mont Blanc excepted."
At any rate Mr. Dent does not include climbing
up a mountain or treading upon It among the
" insults," so he started from Chamouni about
midnight, and ascended to the Montanvert. The
landlord ofthis hostelry, he says, "will come to no
good end " inasmuch as he once charged Mr. Dent
" five francs for the loan of a second-hand collection
of holes which he termed a blanket."'^
* The italics are ours. Perhaps the landlord fancied there was
only a Dent in it.

62 ASCENTS AND AD]ENTURES.
The party got on the glacier and were going
nicely along when suddenly the guides dropped as
if they had been shot, or seized with simultaneous
fits. But the cause was only an innocent and
distant chamois which quickly disappeared, and
was forthwith stigmatized as "unlucky," as it hap
pened to be alone, which perhaps was its mis
fortune, not its fault. A gentle reminder from a
falling block of ice, however, soon caused a move
ment, and they proceeded.
The progress was slow, as the ascent was very
difficult. Steps had to be cut, and the immense
axe of one of the party — which had a tendency to
poke its user in the stomach and otherwise mis
behave itself even to the extent of slipping out of
its master's hands and sticking itself up haughtily
in the snow a great distance off — delayed the
ascent. After all they were obliged to return, and
a subsequent trial a day or tAvo afterAvards proved
equally unsuccessful. It was a defeat; but such
a defeat was as honourable as a victory, for from
the point gained the mountain Avas absolutely
impracticable. Still Mr. Dent was not discouraged. For four
successive years he attempted this peak, and was
as often foiled. Last year (1S78), hoAvever, he
made several other expeditions, and finally in
September, he boldly ascended. The difficulties
he met AvIth Avere legion. There Avas a Avay —
that he could see — but such a way ! " A narrow

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 63
flat couloir or gully, plastered with ice from top to
bottom invited — or forbade — further progress.
Above, a pendulous mass of great icicles, black
and long, like a bunch of elephant's trunks,
crowned the gully."
After perhaps some of the most difficult climb
ing over rocks that has lately been done even by
Alpine Club men, the party reached a spot where,
betAveen two stones, the sky could be seen far
above. Nothing could be beyond this, and of
course nothing higher, and so, after a troublesome
climb over snoAv, the Aiguille du Dru Avas
conquered. And then ? What did it all amount to ? some
one may say. What was the use of risking one's
life scrambling up a mountain from which the view
is far Inferior to many lesser peaks ? Of actual
benefit to the present generation, perhaps there is
little in such expeditions undertaken for mere
amusement and not in the cause of science. But
the pluck and endurance necessary for such expe
ditions bring out the best attributes of the climber.
No selfishness, no unkindness, no littleness of
spirit, can animate the true lover of Nature's
grandeur. The pettiness of mere humanity is
nowhere more strikingly displayed than on these
grand mountain heights. But here also friend
ships are cemented, acquaintances are made, and
foes become friendly upon the glaciers which,
curiously enough, tend to thaw the coolness so

64 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
usually existing between tourists. After all there
are great benefits to be obtained from climbing, so
long as proper precautions are used.
The descent from the Dru was almost as labo
rious as the ascent. Darkness overtook the party
before they had reached their camping ground ;
and owing to a mist they were detained upon the
glacier until half-past two in the morning. But
they were soon afterwards on the alert, and at ten
reached Chamouni in safety.
Retrospection often reveals the beauties of travel.
" What keener charm than to pass in review these
simple AA'holesome pleasures, to see again, as clear
as In the reality, every ledge, every hand and
foothold, to feel the fingers tingle and the muscles
contract at the recollection of some tough scramble
upon rock or glacier ! "
These are some of the pleasures, says Mr. Dent,
and we ourselves can call to mind no more en
joyable recollections than those Avhich remind us
of the maybe oft-trodden but ever neAv and varied
peaks and passes of the Alps.

CHAPTER VI.
THE STORY OF THE MATTERHORN.
" Accessible or not, however," wrote Professor
Tyndall in 1861, "the Mont Cervin is assuredly a
different affair from Mont Blanc or Monte Rosa.
The square massive lines of terraced crags which
fence the Matterhorn stand up on all sides nearly
destitute of snow, and where the snow lies thinly
on the rocks it soon melts and is hardened again
Into smooth glassy ice like a coat of varnish, and
bids defiance to the axe. Every step of the way
lies between two precipices, and under toppling
crags which may at any moment bring doAvn upon
the climber the most formidable of Alpine dangers
— a fire of falling stones."
We have taken the liberty of quoting thus at
length because the extract gives such a true
picture of the terrible Mont Cervin. Grand indeed
as is its appearance from the turns of the road
before entering Zermatt, still grander is it from the
Riffel and the Hornli or from the Pass of St.
Theodule. We cannot give any description of the

66 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
view from the summit as we have never been up
there, and as the chances are that none of my
youthful readers will venture up the Matterhorn at
present, we can dispense with the record of the
prospect. In the year 1859, the inaccessible Mont Cervin
or Matterhorn became an object of attention to the
most adventurous Alpine climbers, and to none
more than to Professor Tyndall and Mr. Edward
Whymper. The Matterhorn seems to have had
a fascination for these giants of escalade. Pro
fessor Tyndall in i860 and subsequently, in
defiance of weather, again and again made the
attempt, and very nearly succeeded in gaining the
summit. In i860, he and Mr. HaAvklns made
their first attempt, and In "Vacation Tourists"
the narrative Avas published.
They were the first to head the virgin slopes of
the mighty mountain. " CraAvlIng singly along a
narrow ledge of rock, a Avail on one side and
nothing on the other — no hold for hands or the
alpenstock, and the ledge slopes a little, so that if
the nails In our boots hold not, doAvn AA'e shall go.''
But they managed to continue their upAvard pro
gress somehow until they found It Avas impossible
to go any farther, and the guide turned back.
They had accomplished much, but it AA'as fated
that from Breuil the first ascent should not be
made. At this time there Avas another aspirant Avho

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 67
Avas anxious to scale the untrodden Matterhorn.
The fourteen or fifteen thousand feet of precipice
had somehow or other inspired all travellers with
the conviction that it was impossible to scale the
Cervin. Nevertheless, about twenty years ago at
tempts were made to conquer the mountain. In
i860 the Messrs. Parker tried it, and, as we have
seen. Professor Tyndall and others did likewise ;
but the most determined efforts were made by Mr.
Edward Whymper who has recorded his expe
riences in a most interesting Avork entitled,
" Scrambles amongst the Alps ; " and there,
amidst many other very pleasant excursions, we
find the most important chapters of the Story of
the Matterhorn.
Mr. Whymper's first attempts, like those of
other great climbers, were unsuccessful ; and the
privations he endured and the dangers he en
countered would fill pages. In 1862, undeterred
by his want of success, he actually attempted an
ascent by himself; for companions had failed him,
but this practice of solitary mountaineering Is not
one to be generally adopted.
On this occasion Mr. Whymper found his tent
snowed up where he had left it the year before,
and as circumstances Avere favourable he deter
mined to unroll it and stay Avhere he Avas. It
required some nerve to sit down quietly alone In
those vast solitudes twelve thousand feet above the
sea ; and yet there our traveller sat, the sole

68 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
inhabitant of the Icy world. Next day he con
tinued his ascent and reached a point higher than
any one had before gained.
So far so good, but then the return journey had
to be undertaken, which — although it may seem
easier to descend than to ascend — was by no means
an easy matter, and on this occasion a very serious
accident happened. As it is very remarkable that
the tourist survived to tell the tale, Ave Avill quote
the narrative of the fall someAvhat more in extenso
than it Is our usual practice to do.
Mr. Whymper had left his axe in the tent when
he quitted it to descend the mountain, and retain
ing only his alpenstock he came doAvn the Col and
reached the cliffs where, at a very difficult corner,
he could only walk along the very steep snow-
slope. Very few steps were necessary, but these
had to be " prodded out " with the stick — the axe
would have cut them in a very short time. So the
climber, holding to the rocks with one hand, dug
out his steps with the other, and endeavoured to
turn the corner. But as he passed round he slipped
and fell.
"The knapsack," he says, "brought my head
down first, and I pitched into some rocks about a
dozen feet below : they caught something and
tumbled me off the edge head over heels into the
gully : the baton Avas dashed from my hands, and
I whirled dowuAvards In a series of bounds each
longer than thc last, noAV over ice, now into rocks,

THE MATTERHOXN AND ZERMATT,

70 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Striking my head four or five times, each time Avith
increasing force. The last bound sent me spinning
through the air in a leap of fifty or sixty feet, and
I struck the rocks AvIth the whole of my left side.
They caught my clothes for a moment and I fell
back on to the snow with motion arrested, and a
few frantic catches brought me to a halt on the
verge of the precipice."
We venture to think that few people would
have fallen such a distance and lived. A fall of
two hundred feet in a feAv bounds, and a halt on
the edge of a precipice when eight hundred feet
in sheer descent would have been the next leap, is
a feat we would rather be excused from perform
ing even in the cause of science, and Ave can feel
with (and for) Mr. W^hymper that the situation
Avas " sufficiently serious."
With blood spouting in blinding jets from his
head, he managed to cling to the rocks, and
eventually lessened the bleeding by applying
handfuls of snow to his cuts. Scrambling to a
place of safety he did Avhat most men Avould have
done before — viz., he fainted awa}'. At sunset
consciousness returned, and by careful AA'ork he
managed to descend the remaining four thousand
feet of rock in safety.
Ina note to his book Mr. Whymper states that
he felt no pain during his fall : he was quite con
scious, and remembers his feelings and sensations.
Things long forgotten rushed to his mind, and.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 71
curiously enough, his bounding through space
"was not disagreeable."
This statement only proves what very erroneous
impressions we, Avho merely read these accounts,
receive. Another curious fact Is that the sufferer's
memory has been Impaired to a certain extent, and
but for notes made on that morning and before the
accident, the Incidents of the day would have
entirely passed from the writer's memory.
Even after this another attempt was almost
immediately made, and just then Professor Tyndall
and Mr. Whymper met on the Matterhorn. But
both gentlemen failed this year also. No one else
tried the mountain in 1862, but In the following year
Mr. Whymper again made an attempt and en
countered a terrific thunderstorm, yet without suc
ceeding in ascending the Matterhorn. Thus the
sixth attempt came to nought.
Another trial was made in June, 1865, but with
out success, and the tourists appear to have gone
over towards Chamouni Avhere Croz was due at
the end of the month. As mentioned in a previous
chapter we encountered Mr. Hudson and Croz
Avith other travellers at the Inn on the Montanvert,
but I do not think we encountered Mr. Whymper,
unless that venturous young gentleman who struck
across the glaciers from the Col de Balme about
three days previously Avas he.
However the hero of the Matterhorn found him
self in the Val Tournanche at the beginning of

72 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
July, and In vain hunted up guides to accompany
him up the Cervin. The curious chain of circum
stances, the meetings apparently quite accidental,
and the slow but sure advance to the final ca
tastrophe, read like a romance, but are only too true.
The weather just then, at and about Zermatt,
was very unfavourable for high mountain excur
sions ; but certain guides, deserting Mr. Whymper,
allied themselves to an Italian gentleman and
made up their minds to ascend the unconquered
mountain. Far from being deterred by these
adverse circumstances, the Englishman made up
his mind to cross to Zermatt, but he could not find
anyone to carry his baggage, ropes, &c.
He waited patiently for some one AvIth guides
and porters, and at last, on the i ith July, a bright
nimble-footed young Britisher came over from
Zermatt with the TaugAvalders. The tAvo Eng
lishmen got into conversation, and introduced
themselves to each other. The neAV-comer proved
to be Lord Francis Douglas, Avho eagerly em
braced Mr. Whymper's plans, and it Avas then
agreed that they should cross to the lower slopes
of the Cervin ; and at the little Black Lake be
neath the Hornli, Avhere a solitary chapel stands,
they deposited their impedimenta.
From this spot they Avalked down to Zermatt,
and there met Mr. Hudson who had eneaged
Croz, the guide, to ascend the Matterhorn. That
evening Mr. HadoAV joined Mr. Hudson, and as

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 73
both the parties had separately determined to try
the mountain next day, they agreed to unite forces
and go up together.
So it was arranged that the party of eight per
sons — viz., Whymper, Fludson, Hadow, Lord F.
Douglas, and the guides and porters, Croz, Peter
Taugwalder, and his two sons — should go up the
Cervin. Messrs. Hadow and Douglas were quite
young men — not twenty years old, but were good
climbers. The others were, as we know, experi
enced mountaineers, and the guides were considered
very able men. Everything promised Avell. The
Aveather was propitious, and when the party retired
to bed that evening there was every prospect of
success and of a happy return.
" Man proposes but God disposes."

CHAPTER VII.
THE ASCENT AND THE RETURN.
At half-past five o'clock In the morning on the
13th of July, 1865, the party left the Monte Rosa
Hotel at Zermatt. Passing the Httle churchyard,
Avhere some of them noAv sleep In peace, the tra
vellers Avalked leisurely up to the Schwartz See, a
desolate little lake formed by the melting of the
snow and Ice beneath the cliffs of the Matterhorn.
Here, in the chapel on Its banks, the ropes Avere
found, and then the party continued to climb
quietl)', and Avithout meeting any obstacles, up to
the eastern face of the peak, and by noon they
had reached an altitude of eleven thousand feet,
Avhere the tent Avas pitched and all made comfort
able. Tavo of the guides Avent ahead to reconnoitre,
and the others passed the time in arranging mat
ters and speculating upon the morroAv. \\^hen the
pioneers came back, they appeared to think the
Avay up quite easy ; so easy, indeed, that had the
whole party started up at noon, they could. In the
opinion of the guides, have got to the top and

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 75
have descended again that day. This was good
news indeed, and all were in the highest spirits.
No terrors appeared to be present in the minds of
the most superstitious member of the party. The
afternoon and evening were passed in sketching and
in admiring the view. The sun set gloriously ;
and, as the happy friends watched it sink down till
it dipped out of sight behind the mountains, no
one fancied that some of the brave men had seen
it set for the last time, and that in a few hours
their mangled bodies would be lying stark and
stiff upon the glacier beneath.
Laughter and singing awoke the echoes from
the grim rocks as night came down upon them ;
and scarcely had the dawn appeared when all the
travellers were awake and anxious to ascend. As
soon as they could see distinctly they left the tent,
and, taking leave of one of the young Taugwal-
ders, who returned alone to Zermatt, addressed
themselves to their task.
Mr. Whymper describes the ascent as by no
means difficult — for experienced climbers, that is ;
and thus at half-past six a.m. they had gained an
elevation of nearly thirteen thousand feet, and by
ten o'clock fourteen thousand had been scaled.
Those familiar with the appearance of the Mat
terhorn will remember that, in the usual represen
tations of the mountain, there appears near the
top an overhanging mass of rock which leads to
the culminating peak. Of course this last portion

76 Ascents and adventures.
looks but a very trifle compared with the base ;
but it Avas the lower part of this overhanging peak
that the travellers had now reached.
From this point the ascent became difficult, as
may be imagined when AA'e know that the slope
Avas less than forty degrees, and that foothold was
uncertain. Added to this, the ice with which the
rocks were coated made holding anything but
easy. But, notwithstanding all obstacles, the adven
turous explorers mounted upwards ; and after
about an hour and a half of this dangerous climbing
a " nasty " corner was turned, and snoAv was again
reached. From this point all Avas easy. The
rope was cast off as the slope became less steep.
A neck and neck race to the summit ensued, and
at ten minutes before two o'clock p. .ai. the Matter
horn Avas vanquished.
But no sooner had the summit been gained than
grave doubts arose as to Avhether the party from
the Italian side, Avhom Ave have already mentioned,
might not have gained a footing previously.
Search was made in all directions for traces of
foot-prints, but not a sign Avas visible of any in
truder upon the Anrgin snows of the Cervin.
This evidence was confirmed In a most satis
factory manner by the discovery of the Italian
party far below. The victorious ones shouted and
Avaved their hats ; but, failing to arouse the atten
tion of the still advancing party, the Englishmen

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 77
began to " heave rocks " down, which had the
effect, not only of directing the attention of the
strangers to the summit, but also to their OAvn
safety. They turned and fled, evidently under the
impression that the evil spirits supposed to inhabit
the mountain had determined to prevent the
ascent. The watchers at Breuil saAV the blouse which
Croz tied, as a flag, to a tent-pole carried up for
that purpose, and fancied that their Italian friends
had gained the summit ; but they were disap
pointed when next day the Italian party returned
and related how the evil spirits had rolled great
stones down upon them and prevented their
approach. The view was cloudless and must have been
magnificent In its extent of a hundred ancl fifty
miles In all directions. To use Mr. Whymper's
Avords, " There was every combination that the
world can give, and every contrast that the heart
could desire."
After an hour passed in delightful contemplation
of the vIeAV — a view of nature never again to be
beheld by some of those who so fully appreciated
it — preparations were made for the descent.
It was arranged in the following order. Croz
came first, Hadow next, Hudson next. Lord Fran
cis Douglas came fourth. Then "old" Taug
walder, and in this succession they were roped
Avhile Whymper was sketching the summit of the

78 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
mountain. The younger Peter Taugwalder also
remained Avith Mr. Whymper, and at last when the
names had been placed in a bottle, after the usual
custom In such cases, the two last mentioned tied
themselves together and hurried down the snoAv
slope after the main body of the excursionists, who
had by this time descended as far as the difficult
portion of the mountain Ave have already referred
to. No precaution Avas neglected. Only one of the
party Avas permitted to move at a time, and all
being noAv roped together it was considered,
humanly speaking, almost impossible for any acci
dent to happen. But independently of this extra
caution, Croz went so far as to place Mr. HadoAv's
feet in good holding positions so that no precau
tion should be neglected upon that slippery portion.
About this time — say half-past three, the landlord
of the hotel of Zermatt was very much surprised to
hear from a boy who ran up to the hotel, that an
avalanche had fallen from the summit of the Mat
terhorn. This Avas such an unexpected, not to
say impossible occurrence, that INI. Seller Avas
inclined to treat the quick-eyed youth to a prac
tical lesson and to instil into him a regard for
truth. As it Avas, he received a severe lecture,
and, if anything more was said about it, the occur
rence was quickly forgotten.
It was not until early the folloAving morning
when Mr. Whymper entered the hotel, that any-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 79
thing was known in Zermatt. Haggard, sick at
heart, and filled with a profound grief, the brave
young climber told the sad tale in six words —
" The Taugwalders and I have returned ! "
That was all ! Of the party of eight who, by
what appeared a series of the most extraordinary
chances, had been brought together at Zermatt but
three remained alive. The others had found a
sepulchre in the snowy embrace of the great
Matterhorn glacier.
But how did the accident happen ? We avIII
endeavour to relate the circumstances.
We have said that the guide was very carefully
aiding Mr. Hadow, who was an experienced
climber, by placing his feet in proper positions.
Croz had just made all secure and Avas stooping to
pick up his ice-axe which he had laid aside, when,
in some unaccountable manner, Mr. Hadow
slipped and fell upon his back. The spot was not
exceptionally difficult, and had the slip taken place
two seconds later, Croz would have recovered his
axe, and would thus have been enabled to have
arrested the fall.
But, taken by surprise as he Avas and also with
out any means of holding, he was at once knocked
over, pitching head downwards as he fell. Thus
he was quite unable to stop himself upon the slip
pery slope, and he and Mr. Hadow began to slide
rapidly downwards.
Mr. Hudson and Lord Francis Douglas were

So ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
next dragged off their feet, but Mr. Whymper and
Taugwalder planted themselves very firmly, the
rope quite tight between them, as the jerk came
upon them.
" The jerk came upon us as one man," says Mr.
Whymper. " We held, but the rope broke mid
way betAveen Lord Francis Douglas and Taug
walder. For a few seconds we saw our unfortun
ate companions sliding downwards on their backs
and spreading out their hands endeavouring to
save themselves. They passed from our sight
uninjured, and fell from precipice to precipice on
to the Matterhorn glacier, a distance of nearly
four thousand feet."
Assistance was out of the question. There
was no chance of saving them, and they must have
been dead long before they reached the glacier.
Had the rope not broken, the others might have
been saved, as Mr. Whymper and Taugwalder
had a good firm hold, and would probably have
been able to sustain the shock, severe thousfh it
must have been.
The fact that Taugwalder had used an old
rope to tie himself to Lord Francis Douglas
had a very suspicious appearance, for of course
the Aveak part Avould give way in front of the
guide if any accident happened. If It is possible
to fancy that Taugwalder was guilty of such an
act, little short of actual murder, his calculations
Avere justified by the event. He and his son

THE MONTE ROSA HOTEL AND CHURCH, ZERMATT.

82 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
were saved with Mr. Whymper, whose position
was now physically the most trying that we can
imagine. The guides were both perfectly incapable of
anything except to utter lamentations, and express
fears for their own safety. Utterly unnerved, they
trembled so as to be almost incapable of standing
steady, and as a slip would have been fatal, Mr.
Whymper, betAveen them and tied to both, must
have been in a position terrible in the extreme.
For more than two hours this dreadful suspense
continued, and at length by great exertions the
sadly-reduced party succeeded in gaining the
snow ridge towards Zermatt, and there all danger
was over.
No trace of the poor fellows who had fallen
could be discerned. They had disappeared.
It was at this moment that a most curious
phenomenon appeared. A most wonderful boAv
in ellipse containing three crosses appeared in the
sky, bearing a resemblance to what is termed the
" Spectre of the Brocken " (of which more anon).
The superstitious guides thought it referred to
their lost comrades, and the appearance of such
a very unusual phenomenon must have been
deeply impressive at such a time.
The sordid conduct of the guides is severely
commented upon by the narrator, and he pretty
plainly expresses his disgust. He hurried the
men down, and about nine o'clock they found a

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 83
sort of resting-place till daybreak. For six hours
they clung to the rocky slab, and as soon as It
was light the trio hastened down to Zermatt with
the news.
A search was set on foot at once. The position
of the bodies was discovered far up the glacier In
a place very difficult of access. On the Sunday
at 2 A.M. some Englishmen and guides started to
ascend as near as possible to the poor remains,
and found them lying as they had fallen.
Lord Francis Douglas was nowhere visible :
some relics were found, but the mortal remains of
that bright young man lie still hidden up In the
rocks, "and no man knoweth of his sepulchre to
this day."
In obedience to the orders of the Government
the three other bodies Avere shortly afterAvards
brought down to Zermatt, and burled In the little
churchyard near the hotel. Messrs. Hudson and
Hadow repose at one side, the faithful guide on
the other.
So ended the first ascent of the Matterhorn.
The mountain has frequently been ascended since,
and ladies even have ventured to the summit.
But it will never become a " cockney " mountain.
Cervin is unique. Terrible in its aspect, and to
be dreaded even in the moment of defeat, it will
remain for ever associated with one of the most
melancholy accidents that the already too long
record of Alpine catastrophes contains.

CHAPTER VIII.
SOME LATER ADVENTURES ON THE CERVIN.
The account of the first ascent of the Matter
horn may be taken as the " sensation " narrative,
but this great catastrophe, and the terrible retri
bution demanded by the hitherto unconquered
giant, did not deter travellers. On the contrary,
it seemed to stimulate the appetite for danger,
and the ascents of the Matterhorn became fre
quent. Ladles ascended, and no doubt will ascend
again. There are ropes now attached to the
rocks in places, which materially facilitate the
ascent, yet there is no fear that " tricks " avIII
ever be played upon the Matterhorn.
We so far forgot our resolution last year (1878)
as to ascend a little Avay (it seemed a pity only to
go up to the Hornli) ; but on that hot summer's
day we saw quite enough of the crags to impress
us with the conviction that people of our time
of life have no business to scramble up beyond
the place where there are (or Avere) the remains
of a hut. This is the spot where Mr. Whymper

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 85
pitched his tent, and Is called " The Platform,"
or " Whymper's Platform."
Now, if anybody wishes to have a nice climb
Avithout any great danger, let him leave Zermatt
early, very early (say, 5 a.m.), and walk up to the
Hornli. This will in Itself give the pedestrian a
pleasant trip, and the views are beautiful. By
passing the Hornli and advancing Avestward, the
climber will reach a moraine, and above said
moraine he will casually observe a wall of rock.
If he follow the moraine he will come to the wall,
which is nearly four hundred feet high, and as It
is almost perpendicular, it seems a jDractlcal joke
to a novice to be told to climb It. Were one a
fly or an ape, it might be done easily, but by an
elderly gentleman — Avell — hum !
A nearer inspection, however, will show that
the seeming wall is not so very difficult to an}'one
possessed of prehensile faculties. True, It is
steep, and requires care ; but, after all, the height
is nothing compared to Avhat Is above, and so you
naturally go at it. When you begin you avIU
find the thing much easier than you expected.
There is no use in thinking about the ladies
(awaiting you and your companions) who are
seated on a rock overhanging the glacier, and
wondering why you are so long. Up you must
go, and accordingly there you are, with a beating-
heart, and ready to declare that, after all, rock-
climbing, particttlarly Matterhorn rock-climbing,

86 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
is absurdly easy ; and as for those Clubmen saying
the Cervin was difficult — why, anyone could
get up !
The guide Indicates the Avay on — easier than
ever. Pleasant walking on an easy slope of Avet
snow ; and here you do see the Matterhorn, " if
you like ! " And if you walk along the ridge and
ascend the rock in front, which looked more diffi
cult and much higher than the first bit, you will
(so I believe) reach the Whymper platform, a
large space whereon you may rest. Four hours'
further climbing will suffice to reach the neAV hut
which is seven thousand feet above Zermatt, and
three thousand feet from the top of the Matterhorn.
The ascent will probably be varied by a ton
or two of falling rocks, or a sharp shoAver of
stones ; but these are merely inducements to per
severe. These are the welcome, the salute, of
the giant Cervin, but If his guns Avere not
" shotted," the amateur climber would appreciate
the attention almost as much ! Yet it is mani
festly ridiculous for anyone to climb the mountain
and not wish to be "cannonaded." That would
be quite iiifra dig.; but, thank goodness, Ave our
selves have no pride of that kind, and are meanly
content with a hundredAveight or so of fallino-
stones, just to shoAv there is no ill-feeling !
To complete the ascent you must leave the hut
at early dawn, and, assisted by some thin ropes
and a perfectly steady head and firm feet, pass in

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 87
turn the " Shoulder," and a knife-edge of snow,
with sheer precipices of three thousand feet on
each side. Go and try it ; it Is not easy, I sus
pect, but what is it to crossing Fleet Street or
Ludgate Hill on a busy day ? A slip will pro
bably be fatal In either case, and in one the
precipice avIU kill you outright, while a cab or
omnibus will not.
However, supposing you have crawled over
these ridges (about fourteen inches wide), and
managed to pull yourself up a rope for some dis
tance against the icy rocks at an angle of sixty
degrees, assisted of course by guides, you will
come in due tinie to a slope of snow at a steep
angle. This will require great care, as, if the
snow be light and not frozen on the surface. It has
a playful habit of slipping away, and may land
you deftly on the glacier below in a condition
which will require a good deal of " sorting " to
put you right. By this snow-slope the summit Is
reached, 14,780 feet above the level of the sea.
The prospect Is described as unparalleled, and if
you can enjoy it, which some do not, it must be
sublime. The descent requires great care, as far
as the hut mentioned above.
The year of grace 1879 was not without its
accidents upon the Matterhorn, as the following
brief accounts will show. Dr. William Mosely,
of Boston, U.S., was one victim ; a poor guide
the other.

8S ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Doctor Mosely's party left the Monte Rosa
Hotel on Wednesday night (August 1 3) at half-
past ten o'clock, Intending to make the ascent
Avithout sleeping at the cabin, Avhich is about
seven hours' walk from Zermatt. The ascent was
accomplished successfully, and after a few minutes'
rest the descent began. It appears that, Avhen
about an hour from the cabin, both gentlemen took
off the rope, as they had passed from a precipitous
snow-field to the rocks.
Directly after the party had passed the scene of
the disaster of 1865, and as they neared the cabin.
Dr. Mosely unloosed himself from the rope by
Avhich he was attached to the guides and his com
panions. Scarcely had he done so, Avhen he made
a false step, lost his footing, and glided rapidly
down a steep ice slope, making the while frantic
efforts to stop himself by grasping at projecting
points of rock. The next moment he disappeared
over the precipice, falling on the glacier opposite
the Riffel, betAveen the Hornli and the St. Theo
dule pass, Avhere his body, completely stripped of
its clothing, and lying on a projecting ledge of ice,
could be distinctly seen from beloAv.
Another death. In circumstances almost more
mournful, took place on the side of Breuil at the
same time, as reported in the papers. A guide,
named Joseph Brantschen, from St. NIklaus, had
been engaged to accompany a party of tourists,
Avho proposed to ascend the Matterhorn by the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 89
Italian side and descend to Zermatt. The poor
fellow was far from well at the time, but he had a
wife and six children, and the price offered him —
one hundred and fifty francs — ^was an inducement
he could not resist. When the party arrived on
the summit of the Matterhorn he became alarm
ingly ill, but succeeded, with the help of the
others, in reaching the hut, and next morning he
appeared and declared himself much better. At
the same time he did not feel that he was suffi
ciently recovered to undertake the descent to Zer
matt. The others left him in good spirits, amply
supplied with food, and quite contented with their
assurance that they Avould send help from Zer
matt. He made no request that any one should
stay with him ; and the only man that he would
have cared to detain, the second guide, could not
be spared ; for without his aid, the two Clubmen
might not have succeeded in reaching Zermatt
at all.
The mountain was descended with all speed,
and not a moment was lost In despatching the
two guides, who were, however, unfortunately, too
late to be of any use. Brantschen, as appears
from the medical report, Avas affected with heart
disease, the cause of his death being paralysis of
that organ and of the lungs. It may have oc
curred shortly after his companion and the tourists
left the hut ; and, in any case must have been
equally sudden and painless. It would, therefore,

90

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

appear that the tourists have nothing to reproach
themselves with, and it Is difficult fb see how, in
the circumstances, they could have acted otherwise
than they did. The event teaches Alpine climbers,
before attempting an important ascent, to make
special Inquiries as to the physical condition of all
their companions, for a guide Avith chronic heart-
disease may not only die as poor Brantschen died,
but might easily, by succumbing to his malady at
a critical moment, endanger the lives of an entire
party.

CHAPTER IX.
SOME REMARKS ON AVALANCHES, AND ACCIDENTS
CAUSED BY THEM.
Those who have never seen an avalanche, can
have little or no conception of the tremendous
power and volume of these snow-falls. There are
some places in the Alps where the traveller may
go and wait to see an avalanche fall, and the timid
tourist will probably be disappointed at the very
small result for his money. The sight is not im
posing, but when he hears the tremendous roar
that follows the powder-like sprinkling of snoAv, a
roar rivalling the loudest thunder echoing from
cliff to cliff, he will begin to appreciate the mag
nificence of the spectacle, and wish for a nearer
view. To the Jungfrau let him betake himself,
and under certain circumstances he will observe
with surprise the grandeur of these splendid ava
lanches. But let him not endeavour to get near
their track, for the apparently insignificant cascade
consists of hundreds of tons of ice, which would
tear down whole forests, as one did last spring,
falling into the valley of Lauterbrunnen. Nume-

92 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
rous lives Avere lost In the spring of 1879, on the
Simplon and St. Gothard passes by falling ava
lanches. One of the most extraordinary occurrences con
nected with the fall of a snow avalanche happened
in the year 1 749, in the canton of Grisons. On
the road between Andermatt and Dissentis Is a
small village called Rueras, which may be trans
lated " Ruins," and not without reason. It is
situated in a basin-like valley, and exposed to the
fall of avalanches from the overhanging moun
tains. There Avas no indication of a fall — and the in
habitants of the village apprehended no danger.
They retired early as usual, and nothing disturbed
their rest during the night. But alas ! many of
them never Avoke again ! Their foe was sloAA'ly
but surely advancing Avithout any AvarnIng, the
treacherous avalanche SAvept silently doAvn upon
the devoted village ancl covered up a number of
houses. At their accustomed hour the people woke and
could not comprehend the long-continued dark
ness. After a AvhIle the terrible truth dawned
upon them they were overwhelmed. Efforts Avere
made to break through the soft and deadl}' shroud
of snow, but in most cases Avithout success. The
supply of air Avas exhausted, and Avhen the workers
outside succeeded In piercing the snow-drift, only
forty out of the hundred people who had been en-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 93
gulfed were saved. They had been carried a long
distance in that gentle but terrible grip of the
slowly moving snow.
It is to obviate these disasters that such large
forests or woods are cultivated on the slopes of
the mountains In Switzerland, particularly above
a village ; but even this precaution is at times
unavailing, and the impetuous snoAV avalanche
carries all before it.
In summer, after rain, the accumulations of
snow are very likely to slide from the icy slopes of
the mountains, and thus some very sad accidents
involving loss of life have resulted. Professor
Tyndall was once carried down in an avalanche,
and other members of the Alpine Club can record
similar experiences, and fortunately they have
been spared to relate them. Other most remark
able escapes are recounted, such as the fall of an
avalanche from the Dent cle Jaman Avhich amongst
other playful tricks carried away the whole of the
upper portion of a cabaret or drinking-house,
leaving the lower part which was filled with men
quite unharmed. Another avalanche In 1836
carried away a house, in which a number of chil
dren were. The parents gave chase, and had the
satisfaction to find their little ones all alive and
(probably) " kicking," as the phrase goes. A still
more remarkable case occurred, this time in the
Grisons also, Avhen a woman was buried in the
ruins of a house for eight days, and at length was

94

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

recovered alive ! How she managed to breathe
we are not told, but the house was probably open
to the air by some chimney, and so she was en
abled to subsist until assistance arrived.
Sometimes a sudden fall of rain may cause
disaster, as the following account proves ; and if
the Alps are — and they assuredly are — very plea

sant to travel among, there are certain dangers
to residents AvhIch should not be under-estimated.
The Incident mentioned beloAv occurred in Aueust
1879, and was reported in some of the news
papers. There are many other instances of cala
mities caused by Avater, but this one Avill serve as
an illustration :
" A great misfortune befell the Pays de Gex
and the country between Nyon and the Jura.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 95
About six o'clock in the evening, after a day of
intense heat, an enormous thunder-cloud burst
over the valley. In less than five minutes the
villages of Grassy, Borrex, and Arnex were liter
ally overwhelmed ; the roads were converted into
rivers ; the Bolron, in ordinary times little more
than a brook, became a raging torrent and SAvept
over the great mills of Arnex on its Avay towards
the lake. The utmost difficulty Avas experienced
In saving the horses and cattle, and peasants and
agriculturists have suffered grievous losses. At
DIvonne, which is situated In French territory,
the effects of the flood seem to have been even
more disastrous. The Divonne, a tranquil stream
of crystal Avater which here springs fuUgrown from
the earth, overflowed Its banks, spread over the
adjacent country, and rushed madly towards the
lake, carrying with It trees, crops, and cattle,
strewing the meadows with mud and stones,
flooding buildings, and destroying all the bridges
in its course. The Avater rose in the houses to a
height of 7 ft., the inmates had to escape by the
windows and take refuge In upper stories, and a
daughter of a former mayor of Divonne, Mdlle.
Roland, was droAvned in the street. The damage
done by the flood in Divonne alone is estimated
at 100,000 fr. There were nearly 300 visitors
and patients at the baths at the time, English and
others, whose consternation may be imagined ;
but, beyond the fright, none of them, happily,

96 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
took any harm. It is said that the pipes and ma
chinery of the baths are not much the Avorse, and,
as immediate and energetic steps were at once
taken to put them to rights, the seekers after
health who resort thither at this time of the year ^
in such great numbers will be able to resume
their interrupted ' cures ' in the course of a day or
two ; but the 15th of August will long be remem
bered in the Pays de Gex as a day of dire cala
mity." Sometimes in the spring a noise, such as a loud
shout, or the report of a pistol avIII suffice to bring
down an avalanche. The latter plan is frequently
adopted by travellers in dangerous places, where
otherwise the mere reverberation of their footsteps
Avould bring down the snow. But the inhabitants
from experience can generally tell Avhen an ava
lanche is likely to fall in a certain spot.
While on this subject we may mention another
danger to which the inhabitants of the Alpine
valleys are liable, viz., the earth avalanche or land
slip as we might term It. There have been many-
appalling accidents, the principal of Avhich Avas
that which destroyed Goldau on the 2nd of Sep
tember, 1806. An eye-witness thus describes it.
" Some crevasses had been observed to open in
the side of the Rossberg, and from the interior of
the mountain a dull rumbling sound Avas given
forth. Now and then huge stones Avere precipi
tated into the valley, and about mid-day an

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 97
enormous block fell and carried with it a cloud of
black dust. The earth appeared to move. One
man noticed a large hole opening in his garden
and at once fled. Larger and larger became the
crevasse. The various rivulets all ceased to run
at the same moment. The birds fleAv hither and
thither uttering frightened cries, and at length
just before 5 p.m. the whole mountain began to
slide downwards, but so slowly that the Inhabitants
were able to escape from Goldau. The Avhole
side of the Rossberg fell. Four villages were
buried ; four hundred ancl fifty-seven people, and
tAvo hundred and twenty-five head of cattle, besides
churches, houses and stabling, etc., were engulfed."
Nothing of Goldau was left except the church
clock which was carried more than a mile distant.
The safety of time-pieces is rather curious.
Two accidents which I will now proceed to recount
bear a curious similarity in this respect, and are
worth recording because of the intense dramatic
interest attaching to at least one of them.
In speaking of Mont Blanc we mentioned the
accident which befell Doctor Hamel, and referred
to the fall of the avalanche upon the Haut de Cry,
which we now will proceed to describe. It has
been quoted more than once in books of Alpine
literature but will bear repetition. Mr. Philip
Gossett was the hero and the narrator of the
incident, which we abbreviate from the accounts
we have read, and from memory.

98 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
The Haut de Cry is a mountain (known also as
the Pic d'Ardon) rising about 9000 feet above the
Valley of the Rhone between Martigny and Sierre.
The party, of six, we believe, started up by one
of the aretes, and to gain the summit they had to
cross an immense snow-field which spread con
siderably as it descended. The head-guide, Ben
nen, was on the Avhole averse to this passage ;
but, reassured by the local guides, the party pro
ceeded In safety about two-thirds of the Ava}'
across the snow. Here the leading files sank
deeply Into the white surface, and being unable to
lift their feet above it, they ploughed through the
snoAv. Bennen Avas rather afraid of an avalanche,
which on a rather steep slope and in soft snow
Avas not altogether improbable !
But at any rate they proceeded, and, finding the
snow somewhat harder, continued to cross ; but
some of the party sank again into the snoAV, and
the others marched through the furrows holding
their arms up for fear of starting the avalanche.
Suddenly a " deep cutting sound " Avas heard.
The snow divided above the party, and the only
sound that broke the stillness was the oroide's
tremulous and despairing cry —
"We are all lost!"
Those words Avere the last the jDoor man ever
spoke. For a few seconds there Avas no move
ment ; Bennen turned round and began to swim
as it Avere upon the snow. Mr. Gossett and the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 99
Others endeavoured to support themselves with
their alpen-stocks, but to no purpose. The snoAv
began to move, and soon covered them up to
the neck, and then they were carried doAvn-
wards. The pace of the avalanche Increased. Mr.
Gossett describes himself as being on a waA'e of
snow. The head of the avalanche was preceded
by a thick misty cloud of dust (snow), and the
hissing, like the sound of escaping steam, Avas
heard in all directions.
It must have beena terrible moment! carried
onward without hope of rescue, and every moment
threatened with death.
At length the motion became less rapid. The
snow in front stopped, and the peculiar creaking
sound, as when a cart is driven slowly over snow,
was heard. The narrator held up both arms to
protect his head, but the masses of snow following
came on and nearly crushed the breath out of his
body. He was quickly covered up, ..and then the
snow congealed from pressure, and Mr. Gossett
Avas frozen in beneath the snow, his arms still
above his head.
It was fortunate that he had presence of mind
to assume that position, for It was the means of
saving his life. Involuntarily he endeavoured to
move his arms, but found that only his hands were
free. By tremendous exertions he managed to
clear away a little snow, but would speedily have

100 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
been exhausted had he not thought of breathing
up at the thin crust above him.
The warm breath from the lungs thawed the
thin film of snow, and the air rushed in, not a
moment too soon ! The sky was visible through
the tiny hole, but whether any assistance would or
could be rendered was now a very serious question.
It is all very Avell to read about ; but to the
traveller, nearly burled in snow with only a tiny
pin-hole to breathe through, and Avith the uncer
tainty of release, and the probability of another
avalanche falling to complete the terrible disaster,
it must have been a time of intense mental and
bodily suffering.
The death-like silence must have been appal
ling. Mr. Gossett could only just join his fingers
above his head, but even then he could not touch
the upper layer of snow.
After some moments of the most terrible sus
pense he heard a shout. He replied as A\rell as he
could. Fortwnately his hands were noticed, and a
local guide, who had escaped, came and cleared
the snow from Mr. Gossett's head.
Close by was a foot sticking out. It Avas
motionless. It Avas his friend's foot, but he must
have been suffocated. The guide helped another
who Avas lying nearly covered over, and those two
helped a third to come to the surface.
Bennen, the head guide, Avas buried many feet
deep. It was useless to try to do more, and so,

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. loi
nearly frozen and almost incapable of exertion,
the survivors descended on the snow Avhich had
so nearly proved their sepulchre, and reached
Ardon in about five hours.
The distance they were carried down was about
nineteen hundred feet. The two who were tied
to the rope perished, and the rope probably caught
upon some projecting rock when the men were
carried down, and held them fast.
Bennen's body was found three days after,
burled eight feet deep. His watch had been torn
off, but was found some months after by a
shepherd. The watch Avent Avell when wound up.
The second accident, and a similar one, occur
red to Professor Tyndall, and is related at length
in his " Hours of Exercise in the Alps."
He and some friends ascended the Piz Morte-
ratsch, near Pontreslna in the Engadlne. They
determined to descend by the Morteratsch Glacier.
The members of the party were all tied together,
and they descended carefully along the Ice-slope
till they reached the snow. The guide strongly
recommended caution, for he added, " A false step
might produce an avalanche."
Scarcely had he spoken, Avhen Professor Tyndall
says he heard a fall and in a moment his friends
and their guide Avhizzed past him. He did all In
his power to stop them but could not resist the
impetus, and so they were all .carried down on the
back of the avalanche together.

102 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
The manner in which they were tossed in and
out of crevasses, up into the air and pitched
violently upon the still moving snow, may be read
in detail In the professor's book. The brave
guide even plunged into a crevasse in order to
check the downward progress of the party, but his
efforts were of no use. Though a heavy man he
was jerked out of the chasm like a ball, and
nearly squeezed to death by the pressure of the
rope. As they descended Professor Tyndall and
the others noticed that the slope became for a
short distance less steep, and that if the effort to
stop Avere continued it might now be successful.
So all tried to pull up, but the avalanche passed
the slight slope and began to fall faster doAvn the
steeper one AvhIch succeeded.
Fortunately the strain upon the rope was
greater than the momentum ofthe snow just then.
The party managed to halt, the snow fell over the
chasm, and thus they were free and safe, uninjured
also, with the exception of a few skin cuts. Pro
fessor Tyndall lost his watch.
Fourteen days after he was again at Pontreslna,
and ascended to the glacier in search of his watch
shortly after his arrival. It was found : of course
it was not going, but, when wound up, Avent as
well as ever, although it had been eighteen days
in the snow after its fall.
These accidents show that even the most expert
climbers may meet with disaster. It was, humanly

.V PEEP .AT THE I'lC.

104 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
speaking, in both cases presence of mind that
saved them and their companions : so far as
mortal efforts could succeed they Avere successful.
But had such an accident happened to any person
unaccustomed to the mountains the consequences
would have been much more serious, and pro
bably the whole of the party would have perished.
As it was, in the last case quoted, the guide Avas
to blame for taking to the Ice-slope so late in the
day, but the experienced mountaineers followed,
though they remonstrated. What any experienced
climbers would have said if "amateurs" had fol
lowed a guide under these circumstances we
know not. But Ave may safely conclude that
no amateur would have been found in such a
position. It requires steady heads and firm limbs to
venture upon precipitous ice or snoAv- slopes, and
the courage of Professor Tyndall and his friends
cannot be too highly praised.
The peculiar dangers of an Alpine storm and
the risks travellers run were exemplified on the
Aletsch Glacier in the beginning of last August as
related by a writer to the Times.
It seems that a member of the Swiss Alpine
Club left the Bell Alp Hotel at i o'clock on the
morning of the 6th, with two guides, to ascend
the Aletschhorn, and cross the peak to the
Eggischhorn Hotel. The guides suggested, Avhen
three-quarters of the ascent had been made, that

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 105
the threatening weather made the attempt risky ;
but the traveller wishing to continue, the return
was not pressed. At noon, when on the arete,
about a quarter of an hour from the summit, a terrific
storm broke upon them, and for some time they
were obliged to remain stationary, clinging to the
rocks ,whlle a complete tornado blew over them —
wind, hail, and lightning combining to Increase the
danger of their position. Eventually they suc
ceeded In gaining the summit (since the descent
on the Eggischhorn side A\'as, in the circumstances,
the easiest), and had proceeded about twenty
minutes down on the other side when the storm
broke on them again with renewed violence, the
loose, whirling snow blinding them AvIth its fury,
and the raging of the elements rendering It im
possible for them to pursue their way. In this
¦ critical state of things they hit upon a crevasse in the
neve, which had a lip, or bank, on one side about
3 ft. high. Under this they crouched, covering
themselves as well as they could AvIth a plaid, and
in that perilous position they remained from 2 p.m.
until 6 a.m. the following day, at a height of about
13,000 ft. above the sea .Thick clouds enveloped
the mountains during the whole of this time, and
the strength of the gale rendered struggle against
it hopeless. Their provisions and stimulants were
spent, and they had given themselves up for lost,
when happily the storm abated, and they were
able to make their way down to the Eggischhorn

io6

ASCJiNTS AND ADVENTURES.

Hotel, Avhich they reached at 12.30 (noon) on the
7th- — after 35-^- hours of exposure.
The guides suffered somewhat severely from
the exposure and the effects of the night in the
snow, more so than the traveller to whom they
had given their loose warm clothing.

CHAPTER X.
A PAGE OF HISTORY.
Our available space will not permit us to dAvell
longer upon the records of actual mountaineering
in the Alps, although there is still a large field
from which to pick and choose our specimens of
adventure. The Jungfrau, the Shreckhorn, the
Finsteraarhorn, and numerous other "peaks,
passes, and glaciers," more or less known, remain
to be spoken of; but we have other worlds to
explore, and the remote regions of the earth to
visit, ere we bring our long list to an end.
Nevertheless, we think we should not be doing
justice to the spirit of the Alps did we not pause
a while to look back upon that ever memorable
struggle which took place in the very heart of the
Alpine regions eighty years ago, when fighting,
not climbing, was the moving principle In men's
hearts. In those grand solitudes, where now the
light tread of the chamois hunter, or the firm step
of the Alpine Clubman Is most usually heard ; and
in other places where the lumbering diligence and
the tourist-filled conveyance toil slowly up the

io8 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
road, blood ran in torrents, and the rocks echoed
to the cries of human passion and the roar of
musketry. It was In the Canton of Uri, however, that the
most sanguinary scenes were enacted. French,
Austrians, and Russians, marching, and counter
marching oA^er rocks and snow, winding about, as
a German writer remarks, "like caterpillars," over
the heights. About the St. Gothard and the
Furca, the Austrians and French disputed the
ground. The " Lake of the Dead " on the Grim
sel still bears silent witness to the horrors of the
campaign. But the campaign in August, 1 799, in which the
veteran Suwarrow took a prominent part, is most
worth mention for the pluck and endurance dis
played. We have now no holiday-climbing to
deal with. Every step had to be won at the
point of the bayonet. Frost, snow, and tempest
showered destruction upon the contending armies.
At the head of twenty thousand men, the grim
Suwarrow advanced up the St. Gothard Pass from
Lombardy. He was met by the French near
Andermatt, and a terrible battle ensued. On the
narrow bridge — not inaptly named " The Devil's
Bridge" — the strain of the conflict was most felt.
The Austrians held it against the French, but
when the latter, coming boldly on, Avere about to
carry it, it was partially blown up. Nevertheless,
the[,brave Frenchmen kept their opponents at bay.

if' J
/f

THE DEVIL S BRIDGE : ST. GOTHARD.

IIO ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Though mown down on all sides, they stood firm,
till the Russians, under Suwarrrow, came pouring
on, and, by means of planks, which they bound
together with their scarves, they made a passage
and drove the enemy before them.
The scene must have been awful. The deep
snow stained with the blood of the combatants, the
river running red from the same dreadful source,
hundreds of bodies swept into the abyss, and over
all the massive crags of the St. Gothard moun
tains, must have been a sight almost unprecedented
in history.
Driven down to Lucerne by the victorious
Russians, the French occupied a strong position
on the Lake and destroyed the boats, SuwarroAv
was in a trap, but his courage did not fail him.
His only way of escape was by the KInzIgkulen,
through the Musttathal, over the Pragel, and so
by the Canton of the Grisons to the Valley of the
Rhine. Such a feat is without parallel.
Twenty thousand men were bidden to ascend
the mountain-path — enemies guarding all the roads
and thundering in the rear. There Avas but one
chance — Forwards ! For ten days the Russians
marched, alternately fighting the enemy and en
deavouring to escape the avalanches Avhich threat
ened to SAveep them to destruction. Occasionally,
the roar of firearms would be droAvned in the roar
and hiss of the stones and snow, and the unhappy
soldiers and their baggage be SAvept from the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. in
cliffs, the fall of one file being the death-signal for
the " wiping out " of a company on that icy slope.
At length the pass was surmounted and hope
seemed to hold out success. But it was not to be.
The enemy hemmed him in, and then Suwarrow
turned aside across the trackless mountains to find
his way to the Rhine through the Grisons.
How he ever succeeded is a wonder. Every
thing was against him. The snow did its Avorst,
frost benumbed his troops, ice gave them no
footing. Day after day, whole companies pe
rished In the crevasses or lay down to rest, never
to rise again. But still the iron Suwarrow pressed
on ; and after another five days' terrible suffering
and a loss of (some say) eight thousand men from
cold and accidents, the remnant reached the
Valley of the Rhine. The entire passage was
long distinguishable by the clouds of vultures
which hovered, feasting, over the line of march.
So if the Alps have their romances, they have
also their terrible realities to be met with. The
mountain Is a playground, no doubt, but as Avhen
playing with matches near a barrel of gunpowder :
care and caution are required to deal with it.
As we have said above, we have not by any
means exhausted the possible record of Alpine
mountaineering, but here our narrative of it must
cease. We have other countries to visit, other
mountains to ascend, and other adA^entures to
relate. There are few more interesting records

112 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
than those of Alpine ascents, because the Alps
are so well known and appreciated by English
men. Our happiest hours have been spent
amongst the Alps, and In the valleys at their feet;
and It is with some regret that we are obliged to
bid them farewell.

CHAPTER XI.
THE PYRENEES.  AN ADVENTURE.
We have now turned our backs upon the Alps,
and crossing part of Europe, we will descend upon
the ancient and still thriving city of Bordeaux, or
Burdigala, as it was termed by the Romans.
Bordeaux, as we know or ought to know, is
situated on the Garonne, and is celebrated for
claret, liqueurs, dried fruits, &c., for all of which
we do not just now care one penny, our only ob
ject in coming here at all being a desire to get to
the Pyrenees.
Indeed, were it not for our being so possessed
with a climbing spirit, we could linger, and not
unprofitably, in old Bordeaux. For nearly three
hundred years it belonged to England (i 152-1453),
and we fancy we could disinter a few stirring
memories from the dust of ages lying upon the
chronicles. But we forbear, we are in a hurry,
so we will merely pass through, and after a while
emerge upon a curious district known as the
Landes. "Les Landes" as may perhaps be anticipated

114 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
by the irreverent punster, suffer from want of
water, that is, good water, and the stilted appear
ance of the shepherds, give a very odd feature to
the landscape.
This is no exaggeration. The country is very
flat and marshy, planted thickly at intervals with
pine trees, and when there is a mist on the ground
and above it, the effect is curious.
On these sandy and marshy plains the shepherd
goes stalking upon his stilts, which he mounts
from his stable roof or from his upper window
early in the morning, and does not descend from
his elevated position till evening. These stilts are
fastened at the thighs, and so the legs are given
greater freedom than if they were strapped at the
knees. The long pole he carries enables the
shepherd to steady himself, or to let himself down
easily, or to assist himself upon his feet again.
The ground is certainly flat and unprofitable,
yet the inhabitants manage to squeeze a living out
of the spongy soil and from the resinous trees.
At a little distance men look like storks, and one
can almost fancy that the Sultan and the Vizier of
the old story had taken unto themselves alpen
stocks or crooks, to steady their steps, and come to
reside in Les Landes.
Apropos of stilts, we may mention that at
Namur in Belgium there used to be a battle on
stilts — a game. The town was divided into two
sections, all in good humour, but Ave fancy that

IN THE PYRENEES.

ii6 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
the knocks Avere hard, and that the sport Avas
rough. However, the people of Namur were
fond of games, and one hundred and sixty years
ago the stilt fight was very popular. It was
managed as follows : — The combatants, five or
six hundred in number, divided into two bands,
regularly officered, and distinguished by the colours
of their costumes, advanced upon each other in
the public square, mounted on stilts four feet high.
They were unarmed ; but wrestling and kicking
and thrusting with the stilt-leg — sometimes a
dangerous weapon — were allowable. The battle
began with the sound of martial music, and the
armies were led with gay banners. Women
followed their friends, brothers, and husbands to
the fight, their mission being to encourage and
cheer them on by their presence, to support . the
falling, and to assist the wounded from the field.
These battles lasted an hour or two, or longer,
the combatants often fighting with great spirit
and determination. Marshal Saxe, who, in i 748,
witnessed one of these encounters, said of It, '' If
tAvo armies engaged showed as much valour as
the youths of Namur, it would not be merely a
battle, but a butchery. . . ."
Beyond Dax on the way to Pau and the Pyre
nees, the traveller by this route will reach Orthez,
a name savouring of the Peninsular War and the
days of England's greatness. Here again, at
Orthez, we would willingly stay and study the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 117
old castle, the stronghold of the Bearnals and of
Gaston de Foix. We could tell of battles and
sieges and all kinds of adventures In sport or
Avar ; the material is to hand in plenty, there Is
no want of that. But the romance of the middle
ages is not a record of mountain adventure.
Gaston " Phoebus," the cruel, was not a member
of the Climbing Club ; so we must pass his fortress
by, with a reference to the chronicles of Froissart
to those who are curious in these matters.
There is an amusing anecdote told with re
ference to our advance to Bordeaux during the
Peninsular War, which I think will interest young
readers. An officer (Sir John Waters) was detailed
for a difficult duty by the Duke of Wellington, and
this the officer undertook to do, and return at a
certain time with the required information.
But, as may be imagined, the Duke was much
distressed when he was informed that his brave
and talented emissary had been taken prisoner
almost immediately he had quitted the camp.
The officer was disarmed, placed on a horse, and
carried away. While under escort he Avas regarded
only as a stupid Englishman ; but, in reality, he
understood both French and Spanish, and listen
ing intently while his captors discussed certain
topics in the kitchen of the posada, he acquired
the very information which he had left the English
lines to obtain.
This was fortunate so far ; but on the follow-

ii8 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
ing morning he heard his escort discussing the
advisability of robbing him, and then shooting
him at a certain mill, under the pretence that he
had tried to escape. This was pleasant, but fore
warned was forearmed, and he determined to
baffle his enemies, and, in the words of the
National Anthem, to "frustrate their knavish
tricks." The dragoons who escorted him took
the precaution to rob him before any other
claimants appeared, and when they reached the
mill, they at once entered the house, leaving the
Englishman outside alone and free, in the hope
that he would try to escape, and give them a
chance to fire at him.
Sir John did not lose a moment, and scarcely
were their backs turned, than he leaped from his
horse, threw a cloak upon a brush and put his
cocked hat above it. Some sacks lay on the
floor, and some full ones lay across a horse close
by. Sir John crept into a sack, and by some
athletic feat managed to throw himself across the
horse amongst the flour sacks.
The soldiers shortly afterwards came out, and
seeing the cocked hat and military cloak, at once
fired at them, and rode away as fast as they
could. The cloak was riddled, but Sir John was
safe. The miller came out and mounted his horse,
and the sack slipped from the officer Avho sat up
behind the miller. The latter turned, and seeing

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

X19

a white figure, fancied a ghost was riding pillion
like " Black Care," and being properly frightened,
a slight shove disposed of him, while the Britisher
rode away, flour and all, to the camp, where he
was congratulated on his return, if not upon his
appearance.

CHAPTER XII.
AN ADVENTURE IN THE PYRENEES.
The best headquarters for commencing excur
sions in the Pyrenees Is Pau, so called irom. pali
(poles), for it was formerly the custom to plant
poles upon the site of a town, and as a matter of
fact there are three poles Included in the " city
arms " of Pau. But we shall do better by going
on to Lourdes if we are in search of real mountain
work, and thence to Gavarnie, where by following
the river (Gave) near the Spanish frontier we
shall come upon the High Pyrenees.
From this locality we shall see the Balaltons, the
Mont Perdu and other mountains averaorlng- ten
thousand, five hundred feet in height — rnothing to
what we have already seen in SAvItzerland, you
will say, but possessing a grandeur and pic
turesqueness Avhich even the stupendous Alps
cannot surpass.
The whole of this region is grandly beautiful,
and yet comparatively neglected by the pleasure-
seeker. Between Luz and Gavarnie, the erandeur
of the mountain scenery is Avorth going twice the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 121
distance to see. The " Cirque " is a series of ter
raced precipices, and there is a waterfall in the
neighbourhood rivalling the wonderful cascade of
the Yosemite.
There is not the same danger in making ascents
in the Pyrenees as in the Alps, and one seldom
or never hears of any accidents occurring. But
there are adventures to be met with of a different
kind to those encountered in Switzerland, as the
following condensed narrative will show.
Count Henry Russell and three friends had
ascended the mountain and were camping out for
the night upon the slopes of the Cotiella at an
elevation of about ten thousand feet.
They proposed to sleep in an empty hut, and
were about to " woo the balmy god " — the guides
remaining outside — when one of the men came
hastily In and said that four Spaniards fully armed
were outside, with hostile intentions.
The count could scarcely believe that any
natives would attack them, and he went out to
reconnoitre and remonstrate. He found the four
men as described, armed with knives and other
weapons. One man carried a gun as well as his
recognised assortment of daggers. Somewhat
surprised. Count Russell accosted the men, and
told them that he and his companions were merely
honest travellers. He even offered to pay them
for the use of the cabin, and made other peaceable
proposals.

122 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
But to no purpose. The man with the gun for
all reply deliberately levelled it and fired, the
bullet passing close to the ear of one of the
travellers. This was rather startling, and as our
climbers had no weapons but their alpenstocks,
they judged it prudent to beat a retreat before
the gun could again be loaded. This strategic
movement they executed with less success than
they deserved. One of the party was quickly
overtaken and set upon, the knives of the whole
party being placed against his chest, and to his
passlveness he probably owed his life. He was
robbed of everything, even of his clothes, a shirt
only being subsequently restored to him. One
of the guides also had a narrow escape from
decapitation, and the unoffending hut which had
sheltered the innocent tourists, was completely
wrecked by the banditti, who suspected that the
count had taken refugee in Its recesses.
But that gentleman's discretion had led him
to take refuge beneath a dark pine tree, Avhere,
unarmed and unable to make any effectual resist
ance if attacked, he waited, expecting discovery.
But fortune favoured him. The band could not
discover him, and at the appearance of the daAvn
the ruffians departed, leaving the travellers to
return to the A^illage as best they might, in sorry
plight but fortunately uninjured.
That this is almost an isolated case. Count
Russell is willing to admit, but It might have been

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 123
a much more unpleasant experience, and attended
with graver consequences.''^
The mountains forming the chain of the Pyre
nees are comparatively of recent growth or up
heaval. They are very regular, the passes through
them are not difficult nor very high, but the
regular roads are few and far between. We are
not Avriting a guide-book, but there are some
features to which we would call attention, such as
the quaint old costume still worn by the peasantry,
and the curious tract very properly named Chaos
between Gedre and Gavarnie, where the district
is strewn with immense boulders up to the base
of the Pimene, a mountain about 9000 feet high.
We have already referred to the Cirque de
Gavarnie, and for those who wish to ascend the
Mont Perdu and the Breche de Roland, Gavarnie
is the recognised head-quarters. From here four
mountains are attainable, the two just named, and
the Tour de Marbore, and the " Cylinder."
To ascend the Breche de Roland is not an
easy task ; yet it is by no means dangerous, it Is
often traversed by smugglers, and by such tourists
as wish to gain the summit of the Mont Perdu,
a mountain rising to a height of 11,000 feet, less
12 inches.
This mountain has frequently been ascended,
* Those who are curious to read the narrative in its entirety will
find it in the " Alpine Journal" (Longman & Co.}.

124 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
and so far back as 1797 it was scaled with some
difficulty and danger by a French gentleman and
party who were joined by a smuggler e7i rottte.
This person constituted himself an authority,
and some question as to the proper route arose.
Meanwhile the said smuggler went forward on
his own account, and was soon lost to sight.
After a steep bit of work on the glacier, and by
making numerous zigzags, M. Ramond and his
friends reached an elevated spot, Avhere, clinging
desperately to the rock, and shouting as loudly
as possible for assistance, they found the bold
smuggler who, having ventured upon the ice-
slope without cramping-irons, had slipped about
200 feet, and by a miracle managed to stop himself
at the edge of the precipice.
He was rescued at length, sans hat, sans pack,
sans stick, sans waistcoat, — and as soon as he
had recovered his legs he managed to recover his
hat and the goods, but he could not recover his
composure. He was placed in the midst of the
party, but feared another tumble and upset the
equanimity of all. Still they persevered, and at
last reached the lake in the basin-like hoUoAv of
the mountain range. Here a change in the
weather suddenly occurred. They had all been
so comfortable, and were debating the propriety
of staying there for the night. "No matter about
food, let us try the summit to-morrow ; the clouds
are of no account at all"— when suddenly from

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

125

the despised clouds, just above, came a roar which
made the bravest tremble.
Now the only idea was to escape. All rose
and — to use a modern term — " skedaddled." But
the roar was only an avalanche at a distance, not
a thunder peal, and there was no actual danger.

yet the brave climbers felt more comfortable when
they reached the safety of the lower slopes of the
Mont Perdu.
Nevertheless danger from lightning in these
elevated situations is no imaginary one, and there
are several instances on record in which the
climbers have been exposed to serious risks. The
writer has had one or two experiences of this
nature, one in particular which compelled us to
be witnesses of a very painful and fatal accident.

I 2

126 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
But these adventures we will reserve for a fresh
chapter, as they do not properly belong to the
Pyrenees, of which we will now take our leave,
with a recommendation to our readers to go and
spend three weeks or so among those mountains.
The traveller who does so will find many novel
features, plenty of amusement, quite sufficient
climbing without serious risk, and besides these
advantages will have the enjoyment of traversing
a (comparatively) fresh district, free from the
personally-conducted tourist, and the hundred
and one stereotyped impressions of the pattern
holiday-maker, who bears the English stamp
upon him, and from whom there is no escape in
Switzerland.

CHAPTER XIII.
SOME NARROW ESCAPES AND A TRAGEDY.
At the conclusion of our last chapter we re
ferred to some of the dangers of the Alps and
other high mountains, and we will now proceed to
relate some Incidents from our own and others'
experience which tend to bear out our remarks.
As we were journeying (in imagination) through
the Pyrenees In our last chapter, we will take up
the subject with an adventure which befell Mr.
C. Packe, the experienced author of the " Guide "
to those mountains. This gentleman was " elec
trified " on the Pim6n6, a mountain we have more
than once mentioned. He was carrying his rifle,
and when mounting a small peak of that hill, his
attention was arrested by a creaking noise close
by ; and then a most curious buzzing sound suc
ceeded, as if a bee had got into the barrel, — it
could not possibly be in his bonnet. He at once
turned his rifle upside down to shake out the
insect, but no bee was forthcoming ; and then Mr.
Packe discovered that the noise was caused by
" electrical induction." Everything pointed — even

128 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
his fingers — gave out this curious hissing sound,
and fearing an explosion he descended as rapidly
as possible. Probably before long his rifle would
have become a lightning conductor, as actually
occurred in the case of Professor Forbes on the
Theodule Pass.
In Professor Forbes' case the results were
similar. The party Avere crossing from Zermatt,
over the Col de St. Theodule, and about nine
thousand feet above the sea. The Professor re
lates that he heard a curious sound, " Avhich
seemed to proceed from the Alpine pole Avith
which I was walking. I asked the guide next me
if he heard it, and what he thought it was. . . .
He replied, with great coolness, that the rustling
of the stick proceeded frotn a worm eating the wood
in the interior f''
This reply, naturally, was scarcely satisfactory
to the Professor ; and by way of experiment he
turned the stick point uppermost, when " the
worm '' ran at once to the highest part ; and Avhen
Dr. Forbes held up his fingers, they all gave out
a rustling sound. The party were evidently close
to the cloud, for all the stones now began to hiss,
" like the points of an electrical machine." This
was not a pleasant position ; the gay brass point
of the guide's umbrella soon became a conductor,
and a peal of thunder, unaccompanied by light
ning, proved how close the contact Avas.
But even these experiences fall far short of an

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 129
adventure which happened to Mr. Tuckett, of the
Alpine Club. He and his guides were upon a
mountain near Susa^ — the Roche Melon — on a
threatening day. They noticed the highly elec
trical condition of the atmosphere, and they tried
numerous experiments. But at last the explosions
got altogether too warm, and as every angular
point around them was hissing loudly, they fairly
"bolted" into the old chapel on the summit of
the mountain, for shelter from the approaching
thunderstorm. The party entered and closed the door, because
they had an idea that If the lightning should take
it Into its head to enter, it would come in by the
door with the current of air. Opposite the door
was an altar, on the steps of which, Mr. Tuckett
seated himself. One of the guides remained
between Mr. Tuckett and a small unglazed win
dow, and the other guide rested with his back
against the wall near the door and underneath
the said window.
These positions are quoted for some purpose
as you will see.
The storm came on with terrible fury. The
flashes were almost incessant, and the thunder
never ceased. The half-terrified inmates of the
chapel were at length about to congratulate them
selves upon the cessation of the storm, when a
terrible flash came. There was a blaze of light, —
a blow on the back of Mr. Tuckett's head, as

I30 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
from a hammer, — the chapel seemed filled with
fire, and a strong smell of sulphur pervaded the
place, from the roof of which flakes of flame
seemed to descend all round.
The travellers, by a simultaneous Impulse,
rushed to the door, dragged it open, and darted
into a shed close by.
Each member of the party was more or less
damaged. One guide held his head between his
hands in a dazed manner as if his brains were In
jured, and rolled about in a most painfully dis
tressing way. One man's hand was bleeding, and
Mr. Tuckett was hurt, and bleeding from the foot.
After ascertaining the extent of their Injuries,
and finding that the storm was really passing
away, they returned to the chapel to observe the
extent of the damage done.
The lightning had struck the iron cross on the
roof, which it completely smashed, then the " elec
tric fluid " had darted down, struck Mr. Tuckett
on the head, overturned the candlesticks behind
him, smashed the pictures, and cracked the walls
through in places. Their escape Avas little short
of miraculous ; for they must have been in the
very centre of the storm in an Isolated building
furnished with a metal cross Avhich was sure to
attract the lightning.
Our own personal experience, though perhaps
in less dangerous circumstances, led up to a pain
ful tragedy Avhich it scarcely needs the notes I

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 131
made at the time to recall to my memory. Per-
hads I may be permitted to give the incidents
somewhat in detail : I can vouch for their truth at
any rate.
It was at the latter end of June. We had
walked over the Matterone from Lago Maggiore
and reached Orta in a thunderstorm at 1 1 p.al
Next day we bathed during a continuation of the
storm, and this by the bye was a most ludicrous
incident. The rain was descending not very heavily, and
the question rose about our dress. If we unrobed
in the boat our clothes would be soaked before
our bath was over, and we could not bathe in
them. So we finally decided to place our clothing
beneath the cushions of the boat under the awn
ing ; and socks, &c., being carefully stowed In the
pockets of our great-coats, we plunged into the
blue waters of Lago d'Orta.
The rain fell now In a more determined
manner, thunder rolled overhead, but we swam
on until one of the party fortunately recollected
our clothes. A gfeneral swim to the boat was the
immediate result, and our most direful anticipa
tions were realized. The thin awning had afforded
no protection, the cushions were saturated, and the
difficulty of drying ourselves beneath a dripping
aAvnIng and the dampness of our apparel, made it
a moot point whether it was worth while dressing
at all

132 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
But the boatman landed and took our nether
garments to a house beside the lake, leaving us in
kilted elegance while our things were dried. The
absurdity of our appearance amused us Immensely,
and the shouts of laughter brought some natives
to admire us, and they laughed as heartily as we
did ourselves.
After a pull to keep up the circulation, we
crossed to our hotel and started for Vogogna on
the Simplon route, intending to cross that pass
next day. But thunder, lightning, and rain
pelted us as we neared Ornavesso, and a house
close by us was struck as Ave passed through the
village. The spouts which protrude over the road
ran little " waterspouts." Just before we reached
the houses the storm appeared directly OA'erhead.
One of our friends Avas riding on the box of our
vehicle, and carrying a brass-tipped umbrella.
The lightning came pretty close once or tAvice, but
he did not lower his parapluie. Suddenly a hot
blinding flash passed close overhead, and buried
Itself close beside us in the road. Some portion
of the lightning caught at L — 's umbrella. It
gave him a shock which nearly tumbled him from
his perch, then darting past us it made us sick as
possible for a few seconds, ^^'^e gasped for
breath, and clenched our hands in vain efforts to
shake off the incubus that seemed resting upon
our chests. Our throats seemed grasped by some
strong hand, and the sensation which every

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 133
schoolboy knows of being " hit in the wind," was
a feature of this electric entertainment. A strong
smell of sulphur (probably ozone in large quantity)
was noticed by all. It was too close to be plea
sant. After leaving the village we had to cross a river
which is (or was) worked by a ferry. Carriage
and horses were all placed upon the barge, AvhIch
is run across on a chain and worked by the force
of the current. A bridge was In course of con
struction, and up to the unfinished arch, the last, a
man accompanied by his sweetheart, advanced.
He was warned not to cross the slippery timbers.
He persisted, and got nearly over, when his foot
slipped, and in a moment he was battling with the
turbid and swollen stream.
We, tied tightly in the carriage in the centre of
the river on the ferry, could render no assistance.
He was below us, and was swept out of sight. He
tried to clutch the slippery piles, but they eluded
him, and he was borne away beating the water
vainly. Again, he was carried under ; again he
appeared, then suddenly throwing back his head,
he sank. A peal of thunder sounded his requiem,
and all was still.
The poor girl to whom he was engaged came
down from the bridge in a stupor. Her cold stare
and glassy eyes, more terrible than tumultuous
grief, will never be forgotten by any of us.
We at once set about to find the body, but after

134

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

a vain search along the banks we were forced to
leave, and taking up the poor young woman with
us, we reached Vogogna at 7.30 as the storm
again began to rage around us.
We shall not forget that night. Our windows
Were burst open, and the curtains carried to the
ceiling. The lightning tore through the street,
and thunder rattled us almost out of bed. To
these horrors were added the ever present face of
the droAvnIng man, which haunted us with the
saddest memory for many a day and night after.
But here we must close our diary. The next
chapter avIII Introduce us to far different places :
the Land of Legends — the romantic scenes of the
Walpurgis Night — the ever popular Hartz Moun
tains.

CHAPTER XIV.
INTO THE HEART OF TIIE HARTZ.
I THINK it is well before describing a locality,
or attempting to describe It, to give my young
readers some Idea how to get there. It Is all very
well to talk of certain places, the features of the
landscape, &c. ; but most readers like to have a
notion, at any rate, as to where they are. So I
will briefly sketch the locality and its approaches.
" As if everyone didn't know where the Hartz
Mountains are," says someone. But, friend, every
one does not. I have asked several members of
both sexes, and the answers I have received have
been, to say the least, misleading. "Somewhere
in Germany," was the nearest guess. I put aside
the insinuation of the schoolboy who thought
"Hungary was about the spot;" and when I
questioned his knowledge, he told me " he didn't
believe I knew myself ! " Perhaps I didn't at his
age 1 Now for the Hartz I
The region of the Hartz Mountains is about
seventy miles long and twenty wide and belongs
principally to the kingdom of Hanover. From

136 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Brunswick the tourist can go to Harzburg and
Goslar. There are some wonderful mines in the
neighbourhood, and slate quarries, &c. The roads
have a very bad reputation, and, as we all know,
the mountains are supposed to be haunted. The
great feature of the Hartz Mountains is the
" Brocken," which boasts a spectre, and is the
scene of the Witche.s' Frolic, as related by Goethe.
This heap of stones dignified by the title of
" mountain " — it Is only 3,800 feet high — is one of
the most celebrated in Europe and unequalled in
legendary lore. The locality Is particularly favour
able to the gruesome and weird tales which are so
abundantly scattered abroad. Fancy numerous
granite blocks lying in all directions, interspersed
with fir-trees, and surrounded by quagmires and
mossy quicksands : that is the Brocken. You can
walk up, ride up, or be carried up the Brocken ;
the whole locality is redolent of the marvellous —
the odour of witchcraft.
On the first of May, the Avitches are supposed
to hold their meeting, and none of the natives will
visit the summit of the mountain about that time.
When we have got up we are almost opposite to
the Rossetrappe or Horse's Hoof-print ; and in
front of the Brocken Is the Ilsenstein, an isolated
granite block rising about three hundred feet
above the valley through which the Use flows.
There are numerous legends respecting these
classic localities. That about the Rossetrappe is

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 137
quite romantic, and, as perhaps some of my young
readers wish to read a regular German legend, I
will annex It for their benefit.

THE LEGEND OF THE ROSSETRAPPE.
Once upon a time — I like to begin In the old
way, if you please — when swallows built their
nests In old men's beards, there lived an elderly
monarch who reigned over the whole tract of
country included in the Hartz Forest. His
palace is supposed to have stood on the very
ground now occupied by the Gasthaus zur Rosse
trappe. This king had a son, and that young gentleman
had found it necessary to go on the grand tour of
those days, which included the slaughter of
dragons and the rescue of forlorn damsels, and
various little adventures of like nature, too nume
rous to mention, and to choose a wife. In course
of time he reached Bohemia, and Immediately fell
in love with the king's daughter, the charming
Brunhllde. The princess appears, from all accounts, to have
been equally smitten by the prince-errant. He
proposed, was accepted, and he immediately re
turned home to prepare for his wedding, and in
form his father of the approaching nuptials.
But another suitor appeared for the princess,
who did not suit her at all. This was no less a

138 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
personage than Bodo, a giant ; and the father,
fearing the mighty man, asked for a few days to
consider his decision, the giant being meanwhile
permitted to woo the lady.
The result Avas that the monarch consented.
The giant was delighted. Brunhllde was in
despair. Three days was the period allotted for
consideration, and during that time Brunhllde
appeared reconciled to her fate, inwardly trusting
that the prince would return to save her. Still he
came not. The giant appeared daily, riding a
splendid horse, and on one occasion he presented
a magnificent steed to his affianced bride. This
present she gladly accepted, hoping to escape from
Bodo and ride away to her beloved prince.
So the wedding-day came, and Avith it a grand
assemblage. Bodo was as cheerful as a giant can
be (for my experience of giants is that they are
rather a high and mighty race, and inclined to be
haughty and stuck up). HoAvever, Bodo unbent
on this occasion, and was delighted with ever}'thing,
and was quite civil to his relatives, AvhIch was In
itself suspicious.
But, while he was entertaininsf the quests Avho
were waiting the performance of the ceremony,
Brunhllde made some trifling excuse, and leaAlng
the room, hurried through the dimly lighted
passages to the stables. Then she saddled her
horse and fled ! The noise of his hoofs on the
drawbridge aroused Bodo, who could scarcely

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 139
credit his senses when he saw Brunhllde flying
from the castle. He mounted his black steed and
followed. Such a chase was never known before nor since.
She fled till she came in sight of the Brocken, and
of her lover's palace. There Avas only one chance.
She accepted it. Putting her horse to speed, she
dashed at the wide chasm, and the tremendous
leap was cleared by the horse, whose hoof-prints
are still visible in the rock.
The giant tried to follow, but fell into the
stream wherein Brunhilde's crown had already
dropped. He was at once transformed Into a dog,
where he still (In stone) keeps guard in the river
called Bode, in memory of him, to this day. The
footprints can be seen by anyone doubting the
truth of this story.
So much for the legend. There are others
equally truthful to be heard, but Ave need not
relate them. The " Seven Brothers " will awake
the spirit of legendary lore, but we must pass on
to Blankenburg, and to the Brocken, and after a
journey and a toilsome ascent, we reach the inn on
the summit, where probably a misty air and an air
of mystery wait us.
It is almost impossible to be quite free from the
gruesome associations of the place. There are so
many legends, so many curious and almost super
natural occurrences related — not to mention the

140 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
poems of Goethe AvhIch every one reads as a
matter of course In this region, if nowhere else —
that one rather expects to see a spectre or some
thing uncanny. Even in daylight the huge
masses of rock about the Bode give one a curious
sensation of the supernatural, but at night the
influence of horror is much Increased ; little effort
is needed to conjure up the witches and such
visitors, and no one will care to stay out quite
alone at night on the Hexentanzplatz, the scene
of the witches' meeting.
There is one advantage in ascending the Brocken
in the great Walpii,rgisnacht — the eve of May-day
— when the witches dance, and that Is, you may
have the pleasure of beholding your own " ghost."
Many a person, timid and tired, has said, "I should
like to see myself at the top of the Brocken " that
evening. Sir or Madam, you can (so they say) see
yourself, or your ghost. If you have the spirit to
climb up.
Not only will you see your own ghost, but you
will be able to read the names of your friends who
have desired your departure from the world, if
any. Here you will be able to find out your
secret ill-wishers, and if this is not worth coming
to the Brocken for, I don't know Avhat is worth
coming for !
The " Spectre of the Brocken" is a not unusual
phenomenon and the shadows cast upon the
vapour appear of an immense size. If the fog be

THE SPECTRE OF THE BROCKEX.

142 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
damp you only see your OAvn figure magnified ;
while a dry fog will bring out the figures of your
companions as well, if you have any companions.
So altogether you will readily perceive that the
mysterious Brocken has Its advantages as well as
its drawbacks— and for any boy avIU have a mys
terious attraction. Besides . the Avhole locality
abounds in pretty as Avell as grand scenery, and is
not difficult of access.
Although there is very little climbing, so called,
to be gotten In the Hartz Mountains, the entire
district is worth exploring. There are grander
views to be seen in many localities; but the gaunt
and stony mountains, the level plains, the meadoAvs
and pastures across which the hurrying clouds
chase each other, the quaint toAvns and charming
villages will Avell repay the traveller. At Blan
kenburg one may wait for days, and ascend the
Regenstein again and again. From Blankenburg
to Ballenstadt Is the Devil's Wall, erected it is
said by the Prince of Darkness to enclose a space
Avhere Christianity should not enter. But the
work accomplished during the night by the Fiend,
Avas ahvays destroyed during the day by some
unseen hands, and the Evil One and his imps
gave up the attempt at last in despair.
The Regenstein Castle can still be explored
and its cells examined. It Avas' besieoed durinsf
the Thirty Years' War, and dismantled by
Frederick the Great. Blankenburg is haunted

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

143

by a " White Lady," who appears at the chateau
of the Brunswick family, and makes curious
noises, banging doors at night, and otherwise
annoying peaceable residents. She is or was the
Countess von Orlamunde, and her portrait Is still
to be seen In the gallery, which boasts of a likeness
of Maria Theresa.
We must now take leave of the Hartz, but
those of our young friends who wish to visit the
locality will not be disappointed.

CHAPTER XV.
A CLASSICAL MOUNTAIN.
Before wandering away into Asia Minor and
the Caucasus, we are tempted, for old association's
sake, to drop down into Greece and pass a few
moments in contemplating our old friend — Mount
Parnassus. This classical mountain has a special interest for
every schoolboy. It is a household AA^ord AvIth
boys, and no doubt many young fellows look upon
it almost as a myth, as much a myth as the gods
and goddesses who are so associated with the
classic ground we are about to tread.
Delphi, as every schoolboy knows, was the
sanctuary of Apollo. It is noAv known as Castri,
and Is a miserable village perched upon a rock.
All along the road by which the modern traveller
advances from Chryso, the signs of the devastation
caused by the earthquake some ten years ago are
still visible. As the classic Delphi is approached
down a steep hill, a number of caves are passed,
and then by the ruins of the Temple of Apollo
you will gain the village.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 145
No one will ever visit Delphi without being
struck by the contrast at present observable to the
bustle and religious fervour which must have
animated it In old times. Tradition says that
the cave whence the oracles were delivered was
discovered by a shepherd. The priestess by whose
mouth Apollo spoke, received the inspiration in
vapour ascending from beneath a holy tripod,
where, crowned with laurel, she gave forth the
oracular decisions of the god. At one time,
these " Infallible utterances " were delivered in
verse, but these were eventually succeeded by
more prosy prophecies, as the authority of the
oracle diminished.
There is very little remaining of the once
world-renowned oracle ; a subterranean chamber
and a few columns, with here and there some
niches which received pagan offerings, have alone
remained to tell us of the golden statues, the
temples, the processions, the games, and the
grandeur of the oracle which led the Athenians to
defend themselves with " wooden walls " after the
great fight at Thermopylae, and so saved the
nation. On that occasion, at any rate, the oracle
was right.
One of the most favourite haunts of those
classical young ladies — the ' Muses — was Mount
Parnassus, and on its snow-covered summit they
doubtless walked about in all the enjoyment of
the inspiriting and inspiring air. The fountain of

146 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Castalla, which still flows In a clear limpid stream,
was their favoured bathing-place — the springs of
Parnassus, where the women of Castri now Avash
their clothes, their bath-room.
Above Delphi, the summits — the peaks of
Parnassus — rise clothed with pines, and often
wrapped in clouds ; Lord Byron says, " Who
ever saw Liakoura without clouds } " But when
the sun Is declining the words of the ancient poet
will be remembered by some, at any rate, of the
spectators : —
" Thou rock irradiate vvith the sacred flame
That, blazing on thy artful brow.
Seems double to the vale below." — Euripides.
In ascending the rugged mountain from the
monastery, you soon reach a small chapel. The
road is very rough and steep, and so silent, wild,
and suggestive. Here the Bacchantes held their
wild orgies In honour of Bacchus and Apollo.
But the glory of Parnassus is departed. Few
travellers noAv come to pay a visit to this classic
famous seat of Apollo, Avhere Avas the tomb of
Pyrrhus who was slain by Orestes. Here the
celebrated Pythian games were held, and these
national pastimes, with the poAverful patronage of
the Amphlctyons made Delphi, the " centre of the
earth" as it was considered, the centre of attraction
also. And Delphi is changed too. The ghost of the
Sibyl of old alone haunts the classic ground, aftd

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 147
in silence of the night comes to revisit the scene of
her triumphs. A French writer says, "If you
Avake in the night, you hear the wind which comes
from the sea Avhich beats against the rocks. At
Delphi, it makes a dull sound which fills the soul
with sadness, and makes you fear while you listen
to it that the ancient oracle may have recovered
its voice in order to reveal to you the future that
lies before you."
" Such is the aspect of that shore, — ¦
'Tis Greece, but living Greece no more."
We have not dwelt upon the ascent of this
classical mountain, because It presents no diffi
culties which the average tourist may not overcome.
It is rugged and seamed with ravines. The
traveller will go there, not to seek excitement in
feats of alpine climbing, but to revisit the spot
associated with some of the greatest scenes of
ancient history and mythology : the abode of gods
and the object of many pilgrims' wanderings. We
love to linger round the place, and trace the Cas-
talian spring, and conjure up the spirits of the
former votaries, who filed In long procession up
and down, and looked, as we may look, across the
bay and sunny summer sea. We may fitly con
clude this chapter with Homer's lines, from the
Hymn to Apollo — as rendered by Chapman :
" With never-weary feet their way they went,
And made with all alacrity ascent

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Up to Parnassus ; and that long'd-for place.
Where they should live and be of men the grace.
When all the way Apollo show'd them still
Their far-stretch'd valleys and their two-topp'd hill ;
Their famous fane, and all that all could raise
To a supreme height of their joy and praise."

We may add that the peaks of Parnassus are
frequently covered with snow. There are three
peaks to this classic mountain, the highest about
8000 feet above the sea level, but as only two
peaks are visible from Delphi, the Greeks call it
the " two-peaked Parnassus."

CHAPTER XVI.
THE CAUCASUS.
We must now ask those of our young readers
who have kindly accompanied us so far to take a
long leap eastward and alight at Poti on the shore
of the Black Sea. We are bound for the Caucasus,
for a glimpse at the country even now compara
tively little known, at the great Elburz and Its
companion peak Kazbek ; then Ararat, the
mysterious, will claim our attention before we
make our way across the mighty Himalaya moun
tains, "the abode of snow."
So, if you please, imagine yourselves at Poti,
where the muddy stream of the RIon river runs
into the Euxine. Poti is a wretched place, a most
forsaken-looking locality. (I may perhaps remark
incidentally that, as I have never been at Poti
myself, my opinion may not have sufficient weight ;
but I have consulted many who have been there.)
There is a railroad at Poti, but its fever-breeding
swamps do not attract season-ticket holders, nor
do they hold out even so much prospect as "Eden"

150 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
on paper did to Martin Chuzzlewit and Mark
Tapley. Verbum sap.
Some very interesting Information can be
gleaned respecting this locality AvhIch Jason knew,
and from which Medea eloped ; which the Romans
called Phasis, but which is now the most melan
choly and pestilential place In the world. All
these and more are Avrltten by travellers, notably
Messrs. Freshfield and Bryce — but we must hurry
on. The Caucasus lies between the Black Sea and
the Caspian, and Includes numerous tribes which
remain distinct. Many of these peoples exist solely
by plundering each other. Of the tribes the
Circassians and Georgians and Mingrelians are
perhaps the best knoAvn. The lengthy chain of
lofty snow-capped mountains are almost Impassable
save in certain places. Few travellers cared to
ascend the snowy heights, and until Messrs.
Freshfield, Moore, and Tucker explored the
central Caucasus little Avas known about it. No
one, however, can be ignorant of the gallant
defence of Circassia made by the heroic Schamyl.
For years unknown, beyond the Black Sea he
kept the Russian arms at ba}-, and, at last, after
escapes, battles, and adventures AvhIch Avould fill a
volume of romance, he Avas surrounded and taken
prisoner. The conquest by Russia of the Armenian
and other tribes occupied just sixty-four years, and
cost the invading poAver dearly.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 131
To reach the great Mount Elburz, the traveller
must proceed from Poti to Tiflis, which consists of
three towns, — the German, Russian, and native
portions. The river Kur rushes through It, and
the population consists of representatives from all
parts of the adjacent country, and the number of
different languages to be heard Is described as
astonishing. The costumes are even more varied,
and must present an ever-changing variety to any
European. Tiflis is considered the capital of Transcaucasia,
ancl travellers bound for Ararat or Erivan, or for
Kazbek and Elburz, and the other snowy peaks of
Central Caucasus, make this cosmopolitan town
their residence. The Russians are of course the
governing class, and It Is to the Russian employes
we must apply for conveyance. An order for
horses Is absolutely necessary, ancl passports must
be prepared, and then the " tarantass," or the
telega or paraclodnaia. The former is a four-
wheeled vehicle, consisting of a seat, and not much
else, except a pole and the wheels aforementioned.
The telega, according to Mr. Freshfield, " is so
bad as to be almost beyond description." The
body is like a punt, sometimes rounded like a tub-
boat, "the boards usually rotten," and nails have
a playful habit of appearing in unexpected places
to tear the stranger's clothing. The seats are
composed of ropes (drawn through holes left for
the purpose) cat's-cradle fashion, while the driver

152 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
sits on a plank In front. When we add to this
Imperfect description the fact that the roads are
generally bad, and that cart-springs are unknown
luxuries, some of the pleasures of travelling "post"
in the Caucasus may be imagined.
To reach Kazbek, the traveller passes the now
miserable village of Mscheti (or Mtzkhet), once a
celebrated town, and close to Avhich Pompey gained
a famous battle over the Iberians. Tavo rivers,
uniting here, defend it. Thence through the grand
Darlel Pass, and so on by a steep zig-zag road, at
length we reach the village of Kazbek, whence the
splendid mountain of the same name is seen tower
ing some eleven thousand feet above — about six
teen thousand feet above sea-level. This is no
baby-mountain, and until Messrs. Moore, Fresh
field, and Tucker, well-known Alpine climbers,
were venturesome enough to scale Its snowy sides,
no one had dared to attack it. Since that expedi
tion the mountain has been ascended tAvo or three
times, and is reported to involve no very great
risks, supposing weather be favourable, and the
usual mountaineering facilities procurable in more
or less European style. This mountain is said to
be the scene of the torment of Prometheus,
although Sir R. K. Porter (not Sir Joseph, K.C.B.)
inclines to the belief that Mount Elburz Is the
place Avhere that hero suffered. Mr. Freshfield
awards the palm to Kazbek, and mentions other
legends connected with the mountain.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 153
The impossibility of making the ascent was
strongly impressed upon the bold English Club
men, but their plans were seconded by the inhabi
tants ; so on the 30th of June 1868 our countrymen
started to make the attempt. Kazbek was probably
at one time a volcano, and on first appearance the
sides look so terribly steep that it requires some
determination to make the ascent. Since Messrs.
Freshfield and party went up, the summit has, we
believe, been reached by a different route to theirs,
probably that they adopted on the return. We
will now turn to the record of the expedition,
which was not accomplished without risk. A
rather steep climb constituted the first stage, by a
horse path which traverses the bluff between the
streams which flow from the glaciers and unite
lower down. Just above this the party bivouacked,
and at one o'clock next morning prepared for the
regular ascent, and as the porters did not put in
an appearance, the Englishmen and their guide
started alone. We cannot pretend to give more
than a brief sketch of this ascent, as space will not
admit ; but those who are desirous to read the
complete narrative, Avith other very interesting
details, can refer to the account of the expedition
written by Mr. Freshfield himself.
The travellers gained an altitude of 14,800 feet
without any extraordinary difficulty. They were
then only (about) two thousand feet from the
summit, but this last part proved to be the most

154 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
difficult. By cutting steps in the ice the party
managed to keep ascending slowly, until a berg-
sch'und barred their way. Those who have read
the foregoing chapters upon Alpine climbing avIII
not need to enquire the nature of the obstacle that
now presented Itself A bergschrtind three or four
feet wide, — a huge gap in the Ice, the upper lip
fringed with long Icicles, and some feet higher than
the lower lip, is not a pleasant object for contem
plation. Here an accident occurred which might
have had a very serious If not fatal termination.
The guide Avent first, then Messrs. Freshfield,
Tucker, and Moore in the order named. All
passed in safety by means of a rope that somehow
or other got hitched round a large icicle which
hung suspended over the chasm. Mr. Tucker
being last in the line, made up his mind to release
the said rope, and cut steps down to the upper lip
of the bergschmmd. We can imagine his position.
With an ice-axe it is no difficult matter for a man
with a little practice to chip a good step out of ice
above him, but to do the same thing downwards
is a very different affair. The body is likely to be
bent too much forward, and then, once you pass
the centre of gravity, doAvn you will go. To do
this step-cutting in a hurry is more or less suicidal.
Mr. Tucker unluckily overbalanced himself — he
fell over the chasm. Fortunately the next two
men were able to stand steadily when the jerk
came upon them, or a fatal catastrophe similar to

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 155
the terrible disaster on the Matterhorn might have
resulted. As It was, some time elapsed before the
fallen man could regain his footing and re-ascend.
To hang head-downwards over a bergschrtmd Is
not pleasant, and the escape was no doubt a very
narrow one. Had the rope or the hold by the ice-
axes failed when the jerk came, the consequences
would have been very serious.
Nevertheless our friends' nerves were not
damaged, and warily they resumed their ascent.
There are two summits to Mount Kazbek, and up
the ice-slope separating these, the climbers toiled
for four consecutive hours, not one easy step giving
them even a precarious resting-place. Crawling
up on hands and knees — for step-cutting was now
out of the question — the party managed to gain
the ridge connecting the twin peaks of Kazbek.
The eastern peak appeared to be the higher, so it
was boldly attacked, and by noon the ascent of the
hitherto unconquered mountain was an accom
plished fact.
This was an undoubted triumph, but the con
querors had now to face a still greater problem.
The difficulty that had beset Mr. Tucker when
cutting the steps to regain the rope, now presented
itself in a magnified form to all the party. How
were they to descend the tremendous ice-slope
which they had only mounted on their knees ? As
Mr. Freshfield pithily remarks, " A bad slip would
result In a roll of the whole party for at least two

156 ASCENTS AND. ADVENTURES.
thousand feet, unless cut short by one of the
numerous crevasses on the lower part of the moun
tain. The exact manner of its termination would,
however, probably be a matter of indifference when
that termination came."
Of course prudence carried the day. The
treacherous slope was abandoned, and a course
sought in the opposite direction, viz., on the
northern side, although, by this route, tent and
porters left at the resting-place of the previous
night were abandoned. By means of much
scrambling, glissading, and occasional changes of
direction, the four explorers succeeded in reaching
a gorge, and after the gorge, some herdsmen, Avho
gave them shelter for the night. This shelter, by
the way, was more in name than in fact, for
inquisitive goats entered during the night, and
with a great taste for European luxuries — which if
indulged must sooner or later tell upon even goats'
constitutions — devoured a pair or two of gloves
and some thick gaiters, with Avhich they were
doubtless refreshed, perhaps the gloves were of
kid, and in them they recognised the flavour of a
friend. One very remarkable circumstance connected
with this ascent is, that none of the people In the
neighbourhood credited the fact that the mountain
had been scaled, till the porters descended and
bore testimony to the disappearance of the party
up the mountain, and the herdsmen proved that

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

157

the travellers descended on the opposite side. The
statement of two parties, that they had tracked
the travellers to the summit on the second day,
was received with the derision it deserved. So a
grand expedition was safely accomplished without
much risk, and no loss, except the gloves and the
gaiters, which probably gave the eccentric goat a
fit of indigestion and made him regret the theft.

CHAPTER XVII.
ELBURZ AND ARARAT.
As, according to local traditions, the Ark grazed
the summit of Elburz before it finally grounded
between the lofty peaks of Ararat, it will not be
unfitting if we refer to the former mountain before
proceeding to Ararat, the Aghri Dagh of the
Tartars. So first let us glance at Elburz. We cannot
tarry long. Elborus or Elburz is described by
Sir R. Porter, as a world of mountains in itself,
towering above all, its white and radiant summit
mingling with the heavens. He also Informs us
that, in his time (about sixty years ago), there Avas
a tradition that the bones of an enormous giant,
exposed there by divine wrath, were still to be
seen on the smaller summit of the mountain.
This giant was of course Prometheus, but, as we
have before remarked, Kazbek carries off the
honours In this respect.
It is to Mr. Freshfield and his companions, that
the more modern account of the ascent of the
mountain is due. It is true that an expedition

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 159
was organized to make the ascent so long ago as
1829 by some Russians, and even when our
countrymen visited the district they were alarmed
by reports concerning possible rivals. If there Is
one thing more than another that is alarming to an
English mountaineer, it is the presence of his own
species, when attacking — not himself, that would
be a relief — but his mountain. Take my life — but
don't go up first. Is the feeling of our true moun
taineer, and we can quite appreciate the love of
conquest inherent in all British minds. Some
such ideas of being surpassed affected our bold
countrymen, but their terrors Avere unfounded, and
they started for Elburz. A flattened snow-dome
was pointed out as the " Minghi Tau," or Elburz,
and during the night's bivouac on a meadow below
the glacier, in company with some shepherds, the
sheep amused themselves by charging down upon
the tent with a view of upsetting it. We are not
told why the sheep behaved thus, unless the
unusual appearance of a tent affected them ; but
the fact remains — and the tent did not give way.
During the following day the ascent was gently
continued, that is, about four thousand feet ascent
was accomplished as a " breather " and to find a
nice level spot for pitching the tent. A spot Avas
reached, and finally chosen for a bivouac, and then
the party reconnoitred. All seemed satisfactory ;
a sudden demand for pay by the porters was met
by conditional payment, and the victory remained

i6o ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
with the Englishmen, for the erring porters re
turned, and the party went to bed. During the
night the water in a gutta-percha bag, froze into
one "long sausage of ice," and at ten minutes past
two A.M., the ascent was resumed. The walking
was so absurdly easy that the travellers proceeded
with their hands in their pockets and ice-axes
under their arms.
But this mode of proceeding, though easy, was
not unattended with danger. Mr. Freshfield sud
denly disappeared, like a clown in the pantomime,
down a trap. The crisp surface broke away be
neath him, and he carefully disappeared into a
crevasse. We ma}^ say carefully ; because the
check of the rope gave him time to choose his
manner of falling, and, with his back against one
side of the chasm and his feet pressed against the
other, the Alpine Clubman managed to support
himself, though his hands were still in his pockets
and his ice-axe under his arm. After a long
struggle, Mr. Freshfield was safely landed, and the
ascent was resumed. The cold Avas intense. For
hour after hour they proceeded, and at a height of
more than 16,000 feet, frost-bites seemed likely.
It appears, from a perusal of the narrative, doubt
ful whether the strangers would have gone on, had
not two of the native porters been noticed advanc
ing rapidly in the footsteps already made. This
decided the question. The Avhole party pro
ceeded, and after a comparatively easy termination

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. i6i
reached the summit, 18,500 feet, without having
experienced any inconvenience from "Alpine
sickness." The return was successfully accom
plished, and the reception given to the travellers
must be sought, by those desirous to read It, in the
book already referred to.
Let us now proceed to Ararat, or Aghri Dagh.
It is with a feeling of reverence that every Eng
lish traveller will approach this famous mountain,
and anyone who may chance to read these pages,
be he boy or man, pupil or teacher, need not be
afraid that we are going to say or hint at anything
which will in the slightest degree undermine the
faith we all have in the sacred writings. Ararat
has been to us all a reality since the time we
played with our Noah's arks in the nursery. As
we grew older, we were able to follow the clergy
man when he read the lesson, and In the eighth
chapter of Genesis, we find it recorded that the
ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. There
are two summits to this remarkable mountain, and
though the sentence has been taken to mean rested
" on a mountain In Ararat," there is no reason to
depart from the English version.
It has been suggested to me just now, that
Ararat might mean Armenia, the district and not
the hill. But with these speculations we have
nothing to do. We hope to write a true and inte
resting account of this famous mountain, next to
Mount Sinai perhaps the most famous in the

i62 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
world's history ; and all may learn something of
the first mentioned mountain in the Bible, upon
which all faiths may meet without dispute. There
is no reason to doubt that Ararat, the mountain
(being the highest land In the country where the
flood occurred) was soonest dry when the waters
subsided, and no reason either to question the fact
that the ark grounded on the side (scarcely on the
summit), or on the connecting ridge between the
peaks, if that ridge then existed. As all testi
mony, modern tradition and Josephus notwith
standing, tends to prove that " our Ararat " is the
true mountain, and it has been regarded with
peculiar veneration for generations, we must accept
the fact as proved.
Travellers, so long ago as 1250 a.d., mention it
as a mountain which it is impossible to ascend, and
Sir John Mandeville tells a story of a man who
tried, but always fell asleep and found himself at
the base of the mountain. However, on one
occasion he prayed to be permitted to ascend, and
then an angel accompanied him to the summit, but
" no one has ever been since," says the historian.
It is also recorded that the ark is still on the
mountain, and indeed, until a comparatively late
date, Ararat was deemed inaccessible. There is
quite a variety of stories told respecting the moun
tain, but we need not quote them. Those who
are desirous of reading some excellent opinions
concerning the Aghri Dagh, avIII find them in

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 163
Professor Bryee's account of his journey in Trans
caucasia, and other works to which we are in
debted for some of the following facts.
It appears that the Ararat range is about twenty-
five miles long, and twelve miles wide ; It is said
by the Armenians to be the exact centre, of the
earth. The highest peak of the range is 17,000
feet above the sea, exceeding Mont Blanc In alti
tude ; while the Little Ararat is nearly 1 3,000 feet
high, but much more pointed than its big brother,
which is a " dome-shaped mass," always covered
deeply with snow. The whole range was at one
period volcanic, if the summits were not exactly
volcanoes, for no record of eruption exists, nor has
any one of the numerous volcanoes in the country
ever been noticed in activity. But if there is no
fire, there is an equivalent for smoke ; for daily a
cloud rises, or Is formed, upon the snowy peak,
shutting out the view from the summit, and from
about eight a.m. till sunset, obscuring the top of
the mountain from the spectator below. So those
Avho would climb must make up their minds for a
cloud. The number of persons who have ever ascended
Ararat can be counted on the fingers. A. Persian
grandee went so far as to offer a reward to anyone
who would go up ; but superstition was stronger
than the love of gold, and no one claimed the
money. Sir J. Ker Porter says that the cold
itself would be sufficient to deter anyone from

i64 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
attempting the feat ; but our modern appliances
have overcome these terrors. The first ascent
was made by Dr. F. Parrot. He made several
vain attempts to reach the tojs, and at last was
successful in 1829. But, unfortunately, nobody
believed him ; and although there have been three
ascents since (not to mention Mr. Freshfield's
attempt, though his companions very nearly
reached the summit), very few Armenians will
believe that anyone has ever been up, even though
General Chodzo ascended on survey duties with
soldiers, and encamped near the top for three days.
The most complete account of the actual ascent of
the mountain is given by Professor Bryce, who
went up a few years ago.
Mountaineering in the Caucasus or in Armenia
is not the easy matter it is in Switzerland. In
that land of Alpine pleasures there are guides and
ponies, and alpenstocks (already marked), milk
and fruit for the climber, and even railways to
carry him up the lesser hills. But in the East is
no professional assistance. Cossacks take the
place of guides, and Kurds hand you milk on the
way. The peaceful Bradshaw or Btcdcckcr gives
way to a rifle or pistols in the belt, and an um
brella for protection from the sun is usually neces
sary at the commencement of a journey up the
mountain. Mr. Bryce describes a very picturesque
encampment on the slopes of Ararat, and on the
following morning, at one o'clock, the party of

H iz;
o

i66 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
thirteen started to ascend the mysterious moun
tain. The start was rapid, but the natives soon
pulled up, and, after the first half-hour's work,
their progress may be described, in Hibernian
phrase, as a succession of stoppages. The tra
vellers were helpless. The Kurds and Cossacks
did not care ; they took no notice of sundry taps
on the back and signs to proceed. At length,
even when the route was resumed, and daylight
made the ascent less difficult, every advantage was
taken to halt, and at breakfast time the attendant
guards and porters had dwindled to less than half.
Perhaps the prevailing superstition and the fear of
evil spirits may have influenced the natives, and
Mr. Bryce determined to essay the mountain
alone. But when he set off he was followed by three
of the men, who came to see him do it, and were
witnesses to his picking up a piece of wood high
up the mountain, Avhich may (or may not) be a
portion of the original Noah's Ark, which Arme
nians declare to be still on the mountain — some
where !
As the ascent became steeper the Cossacks
seem to have "fallen out," and at lengfth Mr.
Bryce was left by himself. If he had any hope of
reaching the summit, it must be alone, and not
withstanding all the legends of the locality, and
all the uncertainty hanging like the daily cloud
about the summit, our traveller determined to go

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 167
Up unattended. Fatigue, and the terrible effort of
breathing, almost overcame the bold explorer ; but
the symptoms of exhaustion wore off, and though
" gasping like a fish in a boat, and with knees of
lead " he doubted whether he could possibly suc
ceed, Mr. Bryce went on. He certainly deserved
to succeed, and it required considerable pluck
and determination to persevere. On an unknown
mountain, in a country not remarkable for hospi
tality to strangers, to run a race up a mountain
against time, when failure to find the path would
be almost certain death, much must be put down
to the traveller's credit.
We need not follow him step by step up this
splendid mountain. The story of how he had to
turn back to find another way — how he came to
certain volcanic rocks, sufficiently warm to preA'ent
snow from gathering upon their rugged surfaces
— how the mist persistently kept upon the edge of
the snow, so that it was impossible to see what lay
beyond — and how all view to the right Avas equally
cut off by black precipices — must be sought in
Mr. Bryee's own narrative which we cannot repro
duce. Yet he kept on. The cold Increased to a
most severe degree, and he stepped out upon the
snow. He could only see a few yards ahead,
persuaded that though the slope was gentle there
was much to surmount. He trailed his ice-axe
behind him to mark the track, and went on till
suddenly his footsteps tended downwards — a puff

1 68

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

of wind drove off the mist, and at last the plain
of the Araxes became visible miles below — " at
an abysmal depth." The summit of Ararat was
reached.

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE SUMMIT OF ARARAT. — MOUNT ARGEUS. — MOUNT
SINAI.
So the mysterious " Massis " was fairly con
quered by the pluck and determination of an
Englishman. We cannot imagine anything
grander than the view from the summit, or rather
summits — for there are two — divided by a snow-
clad ridge, near or upon Avhich all travellers agree
that the Ark rested. Beneath, in the valley of
the Araxes, and but dimly distinguishable through
the haze, is the traditional site of the Garden
of Eden, and he must be indeed unimaginative
who can stand upon the mountain unmoved by
the memories of the recorded past. The moun
tain views are stupendous, while historic Tigris
can be traced and Euphrates is visible ; the Cas
pian Sea is within range, and the Araxes wind
ing through the plain of Erivan. The Assyrian
mountains and the Caucasus, Nineveh and the
traditional Plains of Paradise, are all comprised
in one grand sweep of view. What associations
are connected with this locality ! From the very

17° ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
beginning of our world these mountains must
have kept watch over the plain where Adam and
Eve lived and, alas ! sinned — where, far away,
yet not out of sight, great Babel rose up — where
Noah lived and carried out the commands of God —
and where, after the waters had subsided, the pairs
of living creatures descended to repopulate the
earth. Ararat Is a grand and a holy mountain, and
the history of it, could it be written, would be
the most interesting record that pen could ever
tell. The descent of our adventurous countryman
was accomplished In safety. He found his escort
mostly asleep where he had parted from them in
the morning, at an elevation of about 12,000 feet
above the sea. After a venturesome night walk,
the party reached the tent just at sunrise and
slept. Afterwards the descent was continued to
Etchmiadzin, where the Archimandrite calmly
told Mr. Bryce that it was impossible to climb
Ararat. No one ever had been there. And to
this opinion the prelate probably adheres even
now. There is another mountain of Armenia Avhich
ranks only second in altitude to Ararat — viz..
Mount Argeus. This mountain is probably the
Alagos of the German map (or Ala Goz), and is
marked 12,606 feet high. INIessrs. Tozer and
Crowder ascended It in 1879, and sent an
account of their expedition to the papers, from

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 171
which we condense the following. The first halt
was made 8,000 feet up. If this great mountain
be identical with Ala Goz, It consists of three
sharp peaks, one most particularly uninviting,
said to be inaccessible, and in this instance rumour
proved correct. After a night's rest the travellers
started at two o'clock, under the brilliant light of
the full moon, and began a climb of 1,600 feet,
which was a terribly hard piece of work, as the
ground was extremely steep, and the face of the
mountain was covered with loose stones, and
masses of fallen rock equally untrustworthy to
the foot. When they were in the middle of this
climb, the first rays of the sun fell on the porphyry
rocks above them, and produced a splendid effect
by turning them to a bright crimson. At last,
at about six o'clock, they reached the ridge,
where there was a long arSte of snow at the head
of a vast snow-slope, Avhich formed a conspicuous
object, on the north side, when seen from Kaise-
rieh. Cutting a few steps in the frozen snoAv,
they reached a point some 200 feet higher, at the
base of the final peak, which rose about fifty feet
above, and was perpendicular and wholly im
practicable. This point had been reached before
by Hamilton, the secretary of the London Geo
logical Society, in 1837, and by Tchlhacheff, the
Russian savant, In 1848. The view was very
extensive, including the long line of Anti-Taurus
to the east, the mountains that run down toAv.ard

172 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Lycaonia to the south-west, and to the nortli the
vast undulating plains, or steppes, which occupy
the interior of the country. But far the most
remarkable feature was the mountain itself, for the
lofty pinnacles of porphyry which rose around and
beneath them, veritable aiguilles, were as wonder
ful a sight as could well be conceived. It was
strange, even in that land of Cappadocia, which is
full of ancient rock dwellings, to find the rocks
excavated close to the summit ; and these cham
bers were clearly artificial, for the marks of the
chisel were evident along the roof and Avails, and
there were niches cut in the sides.
We have now to touch upon Sinai, a mountain
which, even more than Ararat, commands our
reverence and respect ; and if in thus introducing
these Biblical ranges to our young readers some
of them may fancy we are not keeping to our
" Adventures," we may remind them that we do
not always write merely for amusement. We
venture to think that most boys will not object
to read something about the wondrous scenes in
which Moses took part, and in which the hosts of
Israel were the awe-stricken audience. At any
rate, those who are not so disposed can enjoy some
" literary athletics," frequently practised, and skip
over the Arabian mountain.
The accompanying illustration will give our
readers some idea of the range of Sinai, for the
lofty ridge extends some distance ; and for those

MOUNT SINAI.

174 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
who wish to have an interesting journey, we
cannot do better than indicate to them the map of
Arabia, and ask them to accompany us to Sinai
out of Egypt. We very much question whether
many of our young friends realize the fact that
the events recorded in Exodus actually happened
in that land ; and, reading with the light of modern
research, they must be more than commonly in
terested. So let us look briefly at this wonderful
journey, and the subsequent ascent of Sinai.
In the first place the term Sinai does not only
refer to the mountain. The whole of the peninsula
between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Akabah
is called by the name of the mountains which
form a huge plateau intersected by " Avadys," or
stream-beds, enclosed between cliffs ; in summer
dry and stony valleys, in winter roaring torrents.
When we knoAv this " Avady " is frequently trans
lated " brook " in our Bibles, we can understand
the Prophet having gone doAvn to the brook
Kedron to hide and find shelter in it.
The Israelites marched from Rameses in Egypt
across the Red Sea, beloAv Suez ; they then fol
lowed the eastern shore of the Gulf as far as
Rephldim, which Is in the Wady Feiran. Here
they were attacked by the inhabitants of the
mountains, the sturdy Amalekites ; but the vic
torious strangers marched onwards to Sinai, and
encamped at the base of the precipitous sides,
Avhere they remained nearly a }'ear. The moun-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 175
tains of Sinai are divided into three principal
clusters, but the name is generally applied to the
ridge at the south end ofwhich is Jebel Musa —
the Mount of Moses — Sinai proper. This peak
rises boldly from the plain, and from the northern
portion of this the Ras Susfafeh, rising about
two thousand feet from the plain, Er Rahah, was
the Law delivered to the multitude encamped
below. It may not be out of place to reraark,
that Horeb is a portion of Sinai, and was probably
the centre of the ridge of which Sinai is the
northern extremity.
On the eastern portion of Sinai, supposed to
mark the locality of the burning bush, stands the
Convent of St.. Catherine, to which we propose to
ascend. The ascent is by no means easy betAveen
the rugged cliffs of granite Avhich appear not un
likely to tumble down upon the head of the adven
turous visitor. It is a tiresome and toilsome
journey up this rugged pass, Mukb Hawy, and at
length the plain of Er Rahah is reached. The
view here Is described as of solemn grandeur, and
the associations almost overwhelming, which all
readers will be willing to admit. The valley of
the convent is known as the Vale of Jethro, and
as one advances Horeb rises in front like a wall.
A difficult path leads to the convent at the head
of the valley, the entrance to the house being by
a door some feet above the ground, the visitor
having to be drawn up in a basket. Here, once

176 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
admitted, the pilgrim to these holy places will
be courteously received and Avelcomed. The
gardens of the convent are cultivated, and the
general effect is pleasing. But more than a
passing thought or indication is deserved by this
bold and rugged mountain, standing up in the
plain as grandly as it did thousands of years ago,
Avhen the thunders of the Law were heard rolling
over the plain and amongst the echoing rocks and
valleys. W^e cannot in this place do more than
indicate to the student the locality upon which
centres such tremendous Interest. Space forbids
our continuing the history of Sinai, which avIII
ever remain a monument to the truth and accuracy
of the writings of Moses, the Lawgiver.
We will now pass ouAvard from these Arabian
solitudes to the mighty Himalaya, the veritable
" Abode of Snow."

^^^^^^f.^r^

CHAPTER XIX.
INDIA. — THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS. — SOURCE OF
THE GANGES.
It may be safely said that, of all the countries
on the continent of Asia, Hindustan has been of
the highest interest for ages. We all know the
map of India, its boundaries, and its provinces.
Even were we almost ignorant of geography, the
late war in Afghanistan, not long since quenched,
would have called our attention to it. The
features of this most wonderful country are both
magnificent and various. It includes every sort
of climate, and produces varied crops ; we can
enjoy the heat of the tropical, the pleasures of the
temperate, or the cold of the frigid zone, as we
feel inclined — or the reverse. India is chiefly a
plain, extending east and west, which is wonder
fully fertile. Bengal, of the provinces, is the
most favoured, and not a hill of any size is to be
found in it. Its great feature is the river Ganges,
which rises far within the " Abode of Snow," the
Himilaya, which we shall explore presently, and
take you, my young readers, up to the sacred

178 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
source of the holy river. The wild animals are
various, and about these also we shall have some
thing to say. Tiger-hunting and pig-sticking are
still favourite amusements in the Indian peninsula,
while the habits and customs of the elephant
would fill a book. Up in the " hills," as the
Anglo-Indian terms the slopes of the mighty
Himalaya, and beyond Simla, and in Thibet, Ave
can hunt a variety of animals, from the grand
Ovis Ammon and the great Markhoor to the
musk-deer and the hare. Snow bears, antelopes,
ibex, and burrell will afford any amount of sport
to the Intrepid hunter. But there is one feature
of India which must be noticed, as it leads us
directly to our aim — this is the great desert, about
600 miles long and half as Avide, westward of the
Jumna. The waters from the elevated plateau
fall eastward and westward to the Ganges and
the Indus, and consequently the intervening space
is almost dry, and quite a desert. Northward of
this deserted plain the Himalaya ranges of moun
tains rise till they culminate in the snowy peaks
as yet untrodden to their summits.
If we look at our map of India we can follow
the great chain of the Himilaya mountains from
Cashmir right across the northern boundary to
Bootan. If Ave include the range of the Hindu
Koosh, Avhich is in reality a continuation of the
Himalaya, we shall be able to trace what the
Arabs first, and Dr. Mackay afterwards, denomi-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 179
hated the "Stony Girdle of the Earth." The
latter authority mentions this mountainous girdle
as extending from the Formosa hills to the Pyre
nees in one unbroken chain. This girdle incloses
or includes -many mountains we have already in
imagination visited : Elburz, Ararat, the Taurus
range, and so on through Greece to our old friends
the Alps, and thus to the Pyrenees.
The chain of the Himalaya extends for about
fifteen hundred miles across the peninsula, and in
that lengthened course are included the highest
summits in the world. When from Chamouni we
gaze up at the sixteen thousand feet of the Mont
Blanc, we think it a great height, but what shall
we say to twenty-six, and twenty-eight thousand
feet of altitude, and to the culminating point in
Nepaul, Mount Everest, or Gaurisankar, as it Is
called, which attains the enormous height of
twenty-nine thousand and two feet above the sea.
This is stupendous, and would appear to us to
require the assistance of the man and the boy, of
the American tale, to look up to the top.
Before we attem^pt to enter this splendid scenery
we may remark that our usual pronunciation of
the name of this particular mountain chain is quite
wrong. From our youth up until lately we have
been under the impression that the Himalaya
should be pronounced as if written Himmalaya.
Now this is an error. The word is a compound
one, and any encyclopsedia will give us the derl-

i8o ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
vatlon which Mr. A.ndrew Wilson has adopted
effectively as a title to his pleasant volume, " The
Abode of Snow." The name Himalaya is de
rived from two Sanscrit words, hima (snow) and
alaya (place or site). So you see the double a in
the centre must be longer, and it, not the single a
preceding the y, should be accented. Let us
therefore read Himalaya in future.
From a distance the Himalaya appears to be a
collection of several parallel ranges, one rising
behind the other, till at length the snoAvy peaks
form a striking background. Along the south side
of the outermost range, there exists a belt of
swamps, a plain about twenty miles wide, covered
with jungle, the haunt of wild beasts, particularly
between the Ganges and the Jumna, where all
kinds of ferocious beasts can be found by those
disposed to cross the "belt of death' in the pur
suit. There are some unpleasantly disposed
snakes located amid the thick and tangled foli
age, and as for tigers, elephants, panthers, and
" such small deer," you can have your choice as
to which shall make a meal of you. It is some
consolation to know that, if one has paid one's
money to go so far, one can have a choice after
all. This " belt " is called the Terai.
We have said that the Himalaya at a distance,
appears to be a series of ranges ; and at about
fifty miles' distance from the base, the view is very
striking indeed. From the summits of the first

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. i8i
or outer range, AvhIch is perhaps six thousand feet
above the level of the sea, the view is limited to a
perfect wilderness of gorges and rugged summits.
The great peaks are still afar off; when you have
surmounted the second ridge, you have to descend
again, and so on, perhaps travelling up and down
for days amid these lower-class yet very respect
able mountains, before you arrive at the bases of
even the junior giants of the great boundary. It
is this wandering In search of the peaks, that de
prives the Himalaya of the romance and charms
which exist in the Alps or Pyrenees. In the
latter mountains you can almost at once reach an
elevated position, affording a variety of prospect
and surroundings, which, at a similar, or even a
greater altitude the great Himalaya cannot pro
duce. After a long search, both mind and body
are apt to weary, so that even when we have
reached the snowy mountains, we find (to use a
homely proverb) that the " gilt " is to a certain
extent absent from the " gingerbread."
According to the majority of travellers the best
or at any rate the favourite starting point for the
" hills," Is Simla. This, we all knoAv, is a great
military station and sanatarium. There are tAvo
other and similar stations, Darjiling and Mussiiri.
From Darjiling a peak of the Himalaya can be
seen rising twenty-eight thousand feet. This
giant is called Kinchinjunga and lives in SIk-kim.
From Mussiiri, one can reach the source of the

i82 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Ganges at Gangutree, in about fifteen " marches,"
the Avhole distance Is about 200 miles including
the distance from the temple to the glacier whence
the sacred stream issues. Perhaps as we are at
Mussiiri we may as well go up at once to the
Source of the Ganges and notice Simla and Dar
jiling as we proceed up to the Sutlej or in the
direction of SIk-kim. The sources of the Jumna
(Jumnutrl) and of the Ganges can be visited from
Mussuri, Avhere there is a very good hotel, and
various British institutions, such as a club, library,
&c., for many English reside there.
From Mussuri to Gangutree, is a matter of
fifteen days, so Ave may reckon on a month for
the expedition to the Gungaree source, or rather
sourceS; for there are four, but that called Bhagi-
rathl is the most sacred of all. This excursion
does not involve any very great fatigue, but there
is no pleasant Alpine hotel to stop at. Tents,
and all the usual accompaniments of tent life are
to be employed on this expedition, and care must
be taken that the caste prejudices of the attend
ants are not In any Avay offended. Offence may
be given when least Intended, as the folloAving
anecdote, related by Captain Simpson, avIU prove.
When he was ascending to the sacred source of
the Ganges, a Brahmin lit a fire and proceeded to
cook his food. The fire Avas burning by a fallen
tree, and the man AvIth great perseverance, had
succeeded In gathering various herbs to flavour

BUDDHIST TEMPLE AT THE SOURCE OF THE GANGES.

l84 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
his soup, and was proceeding to enjoy his repast,
when Captain Simpson unwittingly approached
the farther end of the fallen tree. To his great
surprise, the man suddenly rose and threw away
his food, exclaiming that Captain Simpson had
spoiled it all. The captain was naturally incredu
lous, but was informed that he had touched the
tree Avith his foot, and as the tree had touched the
fire, and as the food was on the fire, therefore the
captain had touched and defiled the supper.
Q.E.D. A sort of "House-that-Jack-built" argu
ment apparently, but still the prejudices of the
natives must be respected.
The route up to Gangutree is very fine, and
except at the last part by no means difficult. At
the source is a temple, and a pilgrimage to this
place Is the great feature of the Brahmin religion.
The grandeur of the scenery here is described as
amazing. The traveller has, however, to take
heed to his feet, for the rocks are steep, and the
precipices, along which the devotee must climb
by means of rough wooden ladders and galleries,
tremendously deei3. Towards the east, some
lofty summits peep over the surrounding masses
of rock, and a few pines mark the infancy of the
glorious Ganges, which pours its mighty waters
from above Gangutree to the ocean — a distance
of sixteen hundred miles.
Great numbers of pilgrims come up to the great
fair or religious bathing-festival to Hurdwar, which

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 1S5
is regarded as the point at which the Ganga or
Ganges issues forth upon the plains. The legend
of Ganga and Vishnu and Siva, who are all mixed
up together in the .Hindu account of the river, is
briefly as follows. A certain king was about to
perform a solemn rite, called the " horse sacrifice,"
which occupies many months in preparation ; but
at the supreme moment the animal, not entering
into the spirit of the ceremony, bolted, and could
not be found, although the numerous sons of the
king (the number I believe is 60,000— a some
what large family to provide for) Avere sent out in
pursuit. It appears the horse took an asylum
with Vishnu, who turned the whole of the 60,000
men to ashes by merely breathing upon them.
" Ashes " seems a curious transformation. How
ever, the 60,000 ash-men could find no water to
purify them for a better state, and at last Bhaglr-
atha, son of Delipa, left his throne and became a
hermit In the mountains. After a sojourn as a
strict ascetic for the term of one thousand years,
Brahma appeared to him, and, taking advantage
of the visit, the ex-king requested that Ganga
might pour out the water. The boon was refused,
but after the lapse of one hundred years the water
was permitted to flow over the head of Siva, the
deity of the Himalaya. A pilgrimage to Gangu
tree is considered a most meritorious action for a
Hindu, and thousands make their Avay up to the
sacred source from the great religious fair at

i86

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

Hurdwar. The temple stands about 14,000 feet
above sea-level, so intending tourists will have a
good climb amid some grand scenery, and with
sufficient risk for the last ten miles to give the
excursion the leaven of danger which is so attrac
tive to all Englishmen.

CHAPTER XX.
SOME ADVANTAGES OF TRAVEL IN THE HIMALAYA. 
PIG-STICKING. — AN ADVENTURE.
We have said that Simla is the most convenient
starting point for the Himalaya. So let us in
imagination ascend from Kalka, where convey
ance is usually bargained for, to Kussowlee, up a
rather steep road. From this place there is a
beautiful prospect, and the view of the mountains,
except when the haze hides them, is lovely. N.B.
the haze is generally in the way. From Kussow
lee to Simla is thirty miles, and at Simla we may
meet all the grandees from the viceroy down-
Avards. The traveller can go almost anywhere (in rea
son) from Simla. He has a choice of about sixty
routes, which will be found by the curious in the
report of the survey of India. Major Mongo-
merie has also taken the trouble to give the
tourist or traveller some hints as to the reception
he is likely to meet Avith. Roads, houses, and
supplies, being extremely uncertain and generally
absent, rope-bridges insecure, and no fuel in many

1 88 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
places, the adventurous climber must " rough it "
a Htde. In this and the foregoing chapter we
are indebted to various well-known Avrlters for the
principal modern facts connected with excursions
into the interior, amongst whom Mr. Wilson,
Dr. Joseph Hooker, and a lady-pioneer stand
foremost. Very little, comparatively, Is known of
the Eastern range of this mighty chain, and no
Englishman, so far as we are aware, had ever
penetrated Into its vast mountain-valleys and
slopes, until Doctor Hooker ventured thither in
1848-9. Travelling in the Himalaya is, as we have
before hinted, a very different thing from travel
ling in Europe. A tent is a necessity, and if
ladies are bold enough to accompany the party,
then dhoolies, or perhaps dandys (the latter most
probably) will be found advisable, and are not at
all strange objects — not male dandys these, re
member. A dhooly is a sort of bed with an awn
ing, and carried by two or four bearers by means
of poles. It is on record that certain War-Office
authorities, hearing of these conveyances, fancied
they composed a tribe of hill-men, and the in
offensive beds Avere referred to in official corre
spondence, as the " ferocious Dhoolies," till some
one who had been to India explained the matter
at head-quarters, and the Horse-Guards recog
nised the correction as probable after due enquiry.
A dandy Is a sort of lounging-chair, in which the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 189
lady-traveller can set herself as on a couch and is
thus carried by four coolies up the rough paths
over which it is impossible she could walk.
There are a few features of the Himalaya,
which are also interesting if not altogether at
tractive, though of course such drawbacks will
have no effect upon any mountaineer worthy of
the name. For instance, what can It matter that
there is almost no level ground in the Himalaya,
for, therefore, according to Mr. Wilson, the choice
of a position for one's tent is immensely simplified.
The' chances are that you avIU have a mountain at
the back, and a precipice yawning all night in
front of your tent door. Furniture of a sort must
also be carried, and supplies for self and coolies,
numbering perhaps twenty, or more, according to
the number of the travellers and ladies. Mr. Wilson
was carried in a dandy, but Ave fancy most men
would prefer to walk and enjoy the scrambling,
which is, nevertheless, most severe In places.
On the journey, supposing all to be in readiness
and the weather fine, there are some other ad
vantages to be included which Ave never possess
in Europe to the same extent. These blessings
consist in myriads of leeches, ticks, sand-flies,
moths, cockroaches, flying-earwigs, beetles, and
daddy-long-legs of supernatural dimensions. The
leeches have playful but fatiguing habits : they
get into your hair, hang on your eyelids, crawl up
your legs, and down your back. Dr. Hooker

190 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
used to pull a hundred at a time from his legs,
and the leech-bites did not heal for five months.
The sand-flies and ticks, almost invisible, burrow
into your skin, and must be cut out ; moths and
other flying things nestle comfortably in your hair,
or crawl over your paper, food, or table, and hold
midnight meetings on your lamp. To mention
such commonplace pests as worry us in England
is unnecessary, as they are too evident in every
direction ; and when we add that most of the hill-
men you encounter never by any chance wash,
and never even take off their clothes, but reckon
their age by the number of suits that have fallen
off from sheer wear, you may easily imagine that
the advantages of travel in the Himalaya are
neither few nor inconsiderable, and include snakes,
panthers, and tigers, in first class localities.
The " roads " we have mentioned as generally
lying in the beds of torrents, or on scaffolding
fastened to the face of a precipice. The great
Hindustan and Thibet road (a bridle-path) is an
exception : it was made by Lord Dalhousie's di
rections after the Punjab war, and had it been
completed would have been a great boon. Its
further progress was stopped by the outbreak of
the Mutiny. On the wooden galleries Avhich fre
quently serve for paths you may possibly meet a
drove of yaks. These are not pleasant, if in
offensive, animals, and as there is not much room,
the sportive creatures Avill probably crush you

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 191
against the precipice on one side — if you are
clever enough to reach the. wall — or drive you
over the chasm (about 12,000 feet) on the off
side. This is a contingency you must accept In
the Himalaya.
The bridges also are peculiarly adapted for
suicidal purposes. Nearly all of these structures
are composed of canes held together by other
canes and slung across the torrents. There are
no nails and no ropes. Sometimes a cane-rope is
slung across, to AvhIch, upon a ring, a basket is
hung-. You get into this " cradle " and are hauled
across by coolies ; or are let run down half way
by your own weight, and pulled over the remain
ing distance. At other times the bridges are
composed of canes laid lengthways, and If you do
not take off your boots, and walk very carefull}',
you will probably tilt up one end of the canes,
lose your balance (there is no parapet or guard
but a cane-rope) and fall into the river to almost
certain death. The oscillation of these frail
structures is sometimes very great, and the great
swirling river beneath gives a bridge the appear
ance of being carried up stream at the rate of
about seven miles an hour.
The greatest risks are those of riding ponies or
mules which are not thoroughly trained. Many
accidents have happened, even upon the beaten
tracks, from restive horses shying or backing.
Sonietimes the road, may give way like a trap, as

192 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
It did while Sir Alexander Lawrence was riding
over it, and he and his horse were smashed to
atoms. No one who can walk should ever ride in
the Himalaya — those who cannot walk can be
carried, if they do not mind bumping, or occasion
ally being suspended over a precipice. The fore
going are some of the incidents almost inseparable
from travel in the Himalaya, yet, unpleasant as
they are to read about, numbers of Europeans are
annually willing to encounter them, and some
people fear that personally conducted parties will
ere long render the " Abode of Snow " as terrible
as the beaten paths of the Swiss Oberland.
Before closing this chapter we avIII say a few
words upon the great Anglo-Indian sport of pig
sticking. Let no young reader fancy that pig
sticking is the literal description of the amuse
ment. Boar-hunting or hog-hunting Avould be
more appropriate. But pig-sticking it is called ;
and with all who have made the essay the sport is
most exciting. The boar is to be found in the
plains, and particularly in the Terai, that jungle
tract of land just at the foot of the outer Himalaya.
He is a ferocious animal, and possesses "any
amount" of pluck. He will charge an elephant
as well as a horse, and, once aroused, nothing will
cause him to flinch. Wounded desperately though
he may be, the "pig" avIII come to the scratch —
and this you avIII find is no figure of speech if you
come within reach of his tusks. Independently of

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 193
the danger of attack if you are unhorsed, the fact
that the ground is generally intersected by ravines,
or nullahs, will be enough to warn you to be care
ful ; but pig-stickers rarely come to great grief,
and manage to " fall soft." Occasionally, however,
an accident occurs ; and the following escape of
Captain A. Kinloch (brother of my poor friend
who was so treacherou.sly slain in Afghanistan)
will illustrate some of the dangers of the sport of
pig-sticking. A pig suddenly made his appearance as the
officers were lounging about the mess-tent, and at
once a chase was improvised. The pig got a clear
start, but was nevertheless quite visible, and Cap
tain Kinloch pursued him. The pig at first
charged two natives, and knocked one over. The
officer was close behind, and gave him (the boar)
"a spear ;" but to the pursuer's disgust, he found
that in his hurry he had taken out a blunt spear,
and so his thrusts had little or no effect upon the
ferocious brute. Suddenly Mr. Boar turned, and
charging at the horse, tumbled him over, the rider
naturally coming down at the same instant. Cap
tain Kinloch had just time to lower his spear when
the boar came at him ; but the captain Avas throAvn
down and attacked in a most savage way. It was
no use to try to throw the brute over ; and so,
finding himself getting (literally) cut up. Captain
Kinloch tried " shamming dead." Even this ruse
was no use ; and the " pig " still kept digging his

J94 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES,
tusks into the prostrate body, until fortunately
some other officers arrived on the scene, and the
boar then decamped. The sufferer was carried
into camp, bleeding from about fifty wounds ; his
clothes were cut to pieces. For a month the bold
hunter was hors de combat, and the left hand is
Still more or less affected.
The foregoing are some of the pleasures of
pig-sticking, an amusement which combines racing,
hunting, and steeple-chasing, not to mention an
occasional pitched battle ; and if that be not real
" sport," I should like to know what is.
The above incidents are extracted from the
narrative in " Large Game Shooting," by the hero
of the adventure, who is now, or was lately, on
the Staff in India.
I must now ask you to accompany me to the
" Abode of Snow," Avhich deserves a fresh chapter
all to itself.

CHAPTER XXI.
THE ABODE OF SNOW. — THE AVESTERN HIMALAYA.
We have noticed already that Simla is an ex
cellent starting-point for the Western Himalaya,
but Darjiling is the natural base of operations for
the eastern portion of the range. As it Is quite
impossible to give detailed descriptions of both
routes or even portions of the routes, we will
glance at the Western range first, and then carry
you over the hills and far away into Nepaul.
Simla is one of the fashionable resorts of India.
It did not come into existence till about 1822, and
then it was purchased by the Government for a
sanatarium. From here numerous roads can be
followed ; but the chief paths lead to Thibet,
Ladak, and Kashmir. From Simla, Nagkunda
is about fifty miles distant, and a journey thither
is known as "going into the interior." The road
is good, and at the end of each day's march is a
government "guest-house." Here servants are
in attendance, and accommodation Is provided for
travellers in return for a small payment. From
Nagkunda you can vieAV the river Sutlej, while

196 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
opposite are the peaks of the Kulu and Kunawur
districts. This place is a very favourite object of excur
sionists from Simla, and thence up the Sutlej
valley to Pangee, from which place the road is
very rough. It lies in the bed of the torrent, or
along the steep sides, and is carried over preci
pices by wooded galleries. But even on the road
accidents will happen. On one occasion the young
daughter of a missionary was riding along (a rail
ing now guards the place) and her pony shied.
In an instant she Avas carried over the cliff and
killed. With a steep rock above, and no protec
tion on the other hand, the danger is by no means
lessened on horseback if anything should alarm
the animal.
At Nagkunda, as we have already said, there is
a guest-house or bungalow. Here you may enjoy
beautiful scenery unmolested, for three days ; but
at the end of that time the traveller must decamp
— or rather camp — if he intend to remain in the
neighbourhood. According to regulation no one
can occupy a room for more than three nights,
but this rule, like others we wot of. Is not very
difficult to evade, and a descent or ascent for
one evening will give the guest a claim for the
further period of three nights. Whether this
can be repeated I cannot say, but a week up
there would be sufficient.
Proceeding upwards, the Werang Pass is

iqS ascents and ADVENTURES.
reached at an elevation of 13,200 feet, and cross
ing the river you will enter the land of Buddha,
and so on by the Hungarung Pass to Shipki.
When Mr. Wilson arrived at this place, where
the British boundary ends, he and his party
were stopped by some Tartar women, and they
had apparently determined he should go no
farther. Shipki Is not a place to rest in com
fortably. Every portion slopes more or less,
and even if you succeed in pitching a tent, you
may roll down to somewhere in your sleep. The
house-roofs are flat, and offer eligible sleeping
quarters ; and here one would fancy that peace
would be found. But not so. On every house
top is a ferocious dog which is only too ready to
welcome the daring traveller. The fields accord
ingly were the only available resting-places, for
they are constructed terrace -fashion, and present
more or less level surface. But to these fields
the female Tartars determined that Mr. W^ilson's
party should not go. We have all heard the
phrase "catching a Tartar" as applied to an
unwelcome reception, and in this instance the
proverb was fully borne out, only more so, by
the ladles. These gentle creatures, " clad in red
and black tunics, loose trousers and immense
cloth boots," shoAved fight. The men and the
dogs sat quietly on the flat roofs looking on. At
length a Lama (not a quadruped, but a priest)
took pity on the party, and invited them to

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 199
encamp in his field. This manoeuvre was at last
successful. There is always great difficulty in getting into
Chinese Thibet. The Inhabitants are very ex
clusive and jealous of Europeans, and do all in
their power to prevent their crossing the boun
dary. Some very curious and some amusing
anecdotes are related by travellers. One expe
dient which succeeded was to let a traveller run
half way by the rope across the bridge over a
river. These bridges, you will remember, are
composed ,of poles between which a rope is
extended, and on this rope a basket is slung.
The traveller gets into the basket ; his weight
will carry him to the centre of the bridge, but
he is pulled up the opposite curve by his men
Avho have preceded him. The Tartars once let
an officer run down the rope, but, when he halted
in his basket half wa}^, they could not be pre
vailed upon to pull him across the remaining
distance. There he hung suspended in his
cradle, swinging in the wind, till night-fall, when
being nearly frozen, he promised to return home
if they would pull him back. This they did, and
he returned to British territory, a sadder if not a
wiser man.
Although Mr. Wilson did not meet with such
treatment, he found it impossible to penetrate
into Thibet ; so he turned aside, and traversing
at a high elevation the Western Himalaya,

200 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
reached Kashmir after a troublesome If not very
adventurous journey. Kashmir or Cashmere
(whence a number of shawls come annually to
Her Gracious Majesty, and which she liberally
dispenses as gifts to brides of her acquaintance)
is our tributary. " Who has not heard of the
Vale of Kashmir ?" sings the Irish poet who has
written a description of that beautiful valley in
most melodious verse :
" Here the music of prayer from a minaret swells,
Here the Majian his urn full of incense is swinging ;
And here at the altar a zone of sweet bells.
Round the waist of some fair Indian dancer, is ringing.''
The vale of Kashmir was at one time a lake
Avhich fed the Jhelam or Hydaspes, and so far
Alexander the Great penetrated. Surrounded
by splendid mountains and rich in vegetation,
there Is a variety such as no European valley
can equal. Forests, glaciers, green slopes, and
even snow can all be seen, and " though every
prospect pleases," Ave fear Ave must continue the
quotation and add that " only man is vile,' if all
that Is said of the population be true. But they
are badly treated, suffer terribly from famines,
and probably were the people in better circum
stances they Avould be immensely improved
morally. A great deal has been written, and a
great deal more might be Avrltten, about Kashmir
and its surroundings ; but It scarcely belongs to

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 201
our subject, and it is, moreover, not the " Abode
of Snow." We will, therefore, pass across it and
return as the crow flies to Darjiling, whence we
can make our arrangements for a venturesome
and adventurous expedition into the Eastern
Himalaya.

CHAPTER XXII.
DARJILING.  DR. PIOOKEr's EXPEDITION. — A
terrible adventure.
The station, or Sanatorium, of Darjiling is
about seven thousand feet above the level of the
sea, and is not very far from Calcutta. In this
way it has considerable advantages over Mussuri
and Simla, Avhich lie three times as far away.
It occupies a very central position, as a reference
to the map avIII show. The station was estab
lished in 1840, and soon increased. Invalids were
sent up ; and after a while officers sent their
wives and children thither to recruit their health.
The benefits of the place quickly became known,
and a considerable trade sprang up in various
commodities. From Darjiling the most splendid
panorama of mountain scenery in the Avorld is
visible. The English quarter is above and at
some distance from the native village, and the
depot of the troops Is still farther aAva}'. Ac
cording to travellers the prospect is unequalled.
Forty-five miles away the gigantic mountain
Kinchinjunga rises to an elevation of 21,000 feet

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 203
above the spectator, 1 1 ,000 feet being clothed in
perpetual snow. The Intervening hills are Avell-
wooded, and through the forests an Immense river,
the Runjeet, makes its way to feed the Teesta,
AvhIch flows nearly one hundred miles in a straight
line through the country. Besides Kinchinjunga
(28,178 feet above the level of the sea) there are
other Immense though Inferior peaks to the north
west, such as Junnoo, 25,312, and Kubra, 24,000
feet. Kinchinjunga puts forth two great spurs,
one separates Sikkim from Nepaul, and the other
runs near the Teesta. In addition to the moun
tains named above are Nursing (a capital name
for a mountain near an invalid depot), Donkia, and
numerous others averaging twenty-thousand feet
In height.
Such a prospect as this is sufficient to " set up '
a sick man, and Doctor Joseph Hooker mentions
that even this glorious panorama may be extended
by ascending a small hill about a thousand feet
high, easy of access, and a favourite excursion
from Darjiling. Thence immense snowy peaks
are visible eighty miles away and more. This is,
no doubt, the best starting place for the great
peaks of the Himalaya, through SIkkim, and if
possible, into Nepaul. Great difficulty is some
times experienced in obtaining permission to
enter, but a little diplomacy will, at any rate,
ensure a tacit. If not a very willing, permission to
Europeans.

2D4 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
The great spur or range called Singalelah must
first be traversed, and then the direct route into
the interior is by the valleys of the Runjeet and
Ratung rivers. From the summit of Tonglo
the view is magnificent. It was by that route
that Doctor Hooker proceeded, and thence up
the gorge of the Tambur river to the Wallan-
choon Pass to Thibet. This Wallanchoon is
" a large village of painted wooden houses," con
taining about a hundred houses and temples,
which latter buildings contain rows of praying-
machines. These machines are supposed to be
as efficacious as oral prayer. A sentence is im
printed on it. The sentence Is " Om mani Padmi
om." The cylinder is composed of leather, which
Is placed in a frame ; at each turn, when moved, a
bell Is struck. Written prayers are placed inside
this cylinder, and as often as the bell is rung a
prayer Is supposed to be said. A handle, or a
string and axle, turns the machine. The native
term for these cylinders is " Mani." Sometimes
they are turned by Avater and are four or five feet
high. The same sentence, " Om mani Padmi om,"
is continuously repeated on them.
Difficulties were of course made by the ruler of
the village to Doctor Hooker's progress, but he
persisted, and penetrated into the pass, which Avas
deep in snow. The top of this pass is the
boundary line between Thibet and Nepaul, and is
about 16,000 feet high, about the elevation of

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 205
Mont Blanc. But a descent was made on the
same track, and after parting with some of his
attendants, the traveller struck off in another
direction. It does not appear that Dr. Hooker was much
affected by the rarity of the air, or by the glare
from the snow ; but that this latter is a very con
siderable evil, the following condensed extract
from the account of a similar expedition, under
taken by a " Lady Pioneer," will show. Ladies
seldom or never undertake such a journey as that
Into the Eastern Himalaya ; for the fatigues and
trouble, the immense distances to be traversed,
the deep snow, and the evil disposition of the
tribes render such an excursion not only difficult
but very dangerous.
Snow blindness arises from the reflection of the
sun upon the snow-crystals. When the lady and
her party were ascending the Himalaya, "the light
became so intolerably dazzling that none of the
party could see before or around them, the very
atmosphere vibrated." The whole party were
compelled to cover their eyes and advance almost
at random — this on a totally unknown snoAV-slope
was not devoid of danger. It Is not surprising
that under these circumstances the track was lost,
and was not recovered till some drops of blood
upon the white surface told them that the coolies
had passed that way. They struggled on almost
totally blind. The bearers would no longer carry

2o6 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
the lady. They placed her upon the ground, all
of them utterly unable to find their way. Fortu
nately, after a period of the most painful suspense,
the mist which had intensely aggraA'ated the effect
of the sun, cleared away, and the sky appeared
which gave the eyes comparatively a rest ; and
the party pursued their way to an immense rock,
under the shadow of which they were enabled to
recover themselves.
On a subsequent occasion this same party Avere
nearly lost. They had taken their bearings and
were moving up towards Yangpoong as they
fancied, when the guide at length confessed he
was at fault, and had no idea In what direction he
was going. In deep snow, in a totally unknoAvn
district, miles aAvay from shelter, and no prospect
of obtaining any more food than Avhat they actually
had with them, the situation was extremely grave.
No Avonder despair seized upon them. W^e must
recollect that In India travellers in the mountains
have to take coolies to carry supplies, and sheep
are by no means uncommon accompaniments to a
march into the interior. Tents, lamps, furniture,
and all cooking appliances must be carried, and
ladles must also be borne in dhoolies or dandies as
already explained. Then, when a guide has lost
his way, it is not a mere question of reaching a
Hotel, as in the Alps. In the Himalaya assistance
is unobtainable ; you must depend upon yourself;
for all the attendants look to their employer in times

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 207
of danger, and he is responsible for them. The
spirit of insubordination is very likely to arise
amongst the escort, If you possess a guard, or
amongst the coolies. In the case of the party
which we have referred to, further progress was
of course impossible, and a return was agreed
upon. But this was no easy task. They could only
return upon their own wandering footsteps. The
waste of dazzling snow, bounded by the mist, lay
in every direction as far as one could see. A
retreat was decided upon, but in what direction ?
Some of the attendants started off on their own
account and endeavoured to find the track, but
these deserters had to be brought back, and as the
day was far spent it was found necessary to encamp
in the frozen solitudes.
A sheep was accordingly slain, and then only
two sheep remained for the whole party — about
seventy people all told. When the muster AA^as
called one man was missing. Fancy the feelings
of the Europeans — ^the man had wandered as any
of them might have wandered and had lost all
trace of the party. Immense fires Avere lighted
and every precaution taken to arrest his attention.
Messengers were sent to the Soubah (or ruler)
demanding supplies. Next morning early the
wanderer came in. He had fortunately come doAvn
upon the great rock under which they all had been
resting the previous day, and thence had folloAved

2o8 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
the track back : he was actually lying down in
despair — alone upon that awful snow-field — when
the glimmer of the distant camp-fire caught his
eye. He crawled on and at last succeeded in
reaching his former companions, though more
dead than alive.
Slowly and sadly the expedition returned.
Everything conspired against the travellers. It
seemed as if the giant Kinchinjunga whose terri
tory they had invaded was determined to punish
the aggression. Want of food and terrible wea
ther almost overcame them all. No supplies were
sent as requested, and as arranged before starting
on the route. At length biscuit was the only food
remaining. Roots were dug up from beneath the
snow which fell fast upon the camp and threatened
to bury them in Its winding-sheet. Pushing on
next day they narrowly escaped falling over a tre
mendous precipice. Night again fell. No succour.
Men dropped behind and straggled in by twos,
or singly, utterly exhausted. Next day nothing
remained but a little rum and a flask of brandy,
and that was distributed in drops to each member
of the party. The lady and her husband and
friend were reduced almost to despair on account
of their poor attendants, Avhose deaths would lie
at their doors. The only chance was to proceed :
the burthens were carried as well as possible and
the march was resumed. At length a party was
seen approaching them — supplies were coming.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 209
Joy reanimated the famished trotipe, and a quicker
advance was made. Before long the expected
food was distributed, and after a hurried but, as
may be imagined, a hearty meal, all trouble and
care were put aside, but not forgotten.
It was a very wonderful escape, and how a lady
could endure such privation and not suffer from
it we cannot understand. But so far as we can
learn, no ill effects were left upon any one. The
coolies recovered at once after eating, and all
reached home in safety after their unprecedented
experiences. We have said very little respecting either the
tribes and their habits, or about the lower animals
to be found in the Himilaya, because, although
mountaineering cannot be carried out successfully
in India without attendants — for guides scarcely
enter into the traveller's calculations, as " guides,"
and coolies carry everything in the higher regions
— the description of men and quadrupeds would
lead us too far away from our original plan. But
Ave could, were it within our limits, give our young
readers many a tale of a tiger or an elephant. It
is impossible in these detached papers to give
more than a glance at the general features of the
Himalaya, its deep ravines, its luxuriant vege
tation, its curious and as we have seen very
unpleasant reptiles and insects ; its numerous
hostile tribes and prejudiced neighbours. We
have seen something of the mighty chain, with its

2IO ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
everlasting snows, and lofty peaks, amid which, at
various elevations, every description of scenery
and numerous specimens of plants and animals
can be found.
There is one feature which we have not noticed,
and that is the existence of a mountain about 8000
feet high, in the neighbourhood of Darjiling, which
is there called Mount Ararat. We learn from
Dr. Hooker's " Himalayan Journals," that the
Lepcha tribe have a curious legend of a man and
a woman havingf saved themselves from drowninsf
on Its summit during a great flood in SIkkim.
This is the more remarkable as the legend Avas
known and believed amongst the Lepchas before
any contact with Europeans made the name
" Ararat " known amongst the tribe.
Amongst the numerous animals inthe Himalaya
the yak deserves particular notice, as it Is most
useful and very domestic. It somewhat resembles
a bison, and is used as a beast of burthen or as a
steed. The milk Is much prized ; the hair Is made
Into rope, and even into tent-coverings. The
flesh is eaten, and Avhen dead its tail makes a
"fly-flapper" to human beings, and it probably
was found useful in that capacit}^ to the animal
Avhen alive. If at the elevation It Is usually to be
found any fly thinks it Avorth Its Avhile to come.
The wild .species Is described as a terribly fierce
animal, a " rasp of his tongue being sufficient to
scrape the flesh from the bones " of his human

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 211
assailant. On reflection, we have concluded that
we would rather not get a "licking" from a yak,
but this may be only a matter of taste after all !
We Avill now bid farewell to the Himalaya;
and with a last glance at the rugged heights, topped
by the snow-white range that gives Its name to
the whole chain, Ave will take a rapid southward
^' flight to the Island of Mauritius, where Ave intend to
ascend the curious mountain, " Pieter Botte."

CHAPTER XXIII.
PIETER BOTTE IN THE MAURITIUS.
The Mauritius, or the Isle of France, can be
easily found to the east of Madagascar. It was
named after the Prince of Orange by Van Neck,
a Dutchman, who in 1598 found it neglected,
though it had been discovered previously by a
Portuguese named Pedro Masearenhas. The
Dutch abandoned it, and then the French took it
In 1 791. The English then took it from the
French, and in our possession this island has
continued ever since.
The Mauritius is decidedly volcanic, and is
chiefly composed of mountains which enclose a
great central plain. Of these peaks, a hundred or
so in number, the fantastic Pieter Botte or Both
rises pre-eminent. Its formation Is most curious,
and makes it easily recognizable by all. We give
an illustration ofthis peculiar mountain, for although
it had been deemed perfectly inaccessible to mortal
man, some venturous spirits, generally sailors, who,
possessing steady heads, are more likely to accom
plish the task, have ascended it.
The mountain is indebted for its name to its

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 213
Dutch owners, who named it in memory of a brave
admiral, one Pieter Both d' Amersfort, who lost his
life on the coast of the Mauritius, where his vessel
Avas wrecked.
The Pieter Both, as we have remarked, has been
frequently ascended. Some say that a Frenchman
was the first to attack and conquer the peak. Of
late years some officers from the Samarang made
the attempt, but somehow missed the Avay, and
finding a deep ravine between them and the quaint
peg-top peak they gave it up. In 1831, another
attempt, and a successful one, was made by a
Captain Lloyd, who Avith several companions
repeated the feat in the following year ; and thus
we come down to the latest ascent of which Ave have
record, viz.. Lieutenant Haig's ascent in 1878,
which was published in the Graphic afterwards.
From this and other material Ave will endeavour
to describe the chief features and the various steps
in the ascent of this very extraordinary mountain.
Pieter Both seems to rise from the mountain
range which runs parallel to the coast forming
St. Louis Bay ; but on closer inspection and
approach it avIII be found that a ravine or torrent-
bed separates it from the other peaks. Ropes
and ladders are used in the ascent : whether these
appliances are considered orthodox by Alpine
Clubmen we cannot say ; but as ropes are now
used in the ascent of the Matterhorn, we may
assume that mechanical appliances are now recog-

214 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
nised by that body. In addition to such ordinary
appliances, a bow and arrows and a ball of string
Avill be found useful to anyone adventuring this
mountain of Mauritius.
The path lies through sugar-canes at first, but
soon disappears altogether ; and then a passage
has to be forced through the rank growth of
vegetation, and soon the dry bed of a torrent is
reached, up which a climb is necessary. Here
loose stones usually keep up that pleasant and
not unexciting cannonade, which is supposed to
be so dear to the hearts of mountaineers ; and as
other stones are detaehed by the efforts of the
leading files, there are all the best features of true
climbing present, except ice. From the head of
this gorge or ravine the bold adventurer avIII
probably turn up the other face of the mountain
along a ledge described as a few inches wide, and
let us hope, will reach the " Shoulder " if he does
not lose his head, and consequently his feet.
From this shoulder a ridge appears to lead, and
does lead up to the summit. Here it is remarked
that tennis-shoes may profitably be substituted for
nailed boots, as having a better hold. This Avould
really appear to be a necessary precaution, for the
ridge Is only a foot or two wide — a regular knife-
edge between tremendous vertical precipices.
From the Shoulder a most beautiful view is to be
seen, and the narrow knife-edge of rock runs
up in a conical form to the summit, on the "very

THE PIETER BOTTE.

2i6 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
pinnacle" of which stands Pieter Both, the peg-top
afore-mentioned. The first great difficulty after this shoulder is to
climb the " Ladder Rock," which is cleft, the outer
and left portion hanging over, while in the fissure
the climber has to ascend by gripping firmly, and
with the comforting assurance that should he fall
he will never rise again. This is a very trying
climb, even though the inequalities of the rock
give material aid to the climber. By "spread-
eagling " oneself, and extending arms and legs as
far as possible apart, as a crab might be supposed
to do if four-legged, a man may ascend in time.
Next to the Ladder Rock comes the Saddle, a
steep edge, and then a smaller edition of the
Ladder. This Ladder is a sensational spot. In
places the edge Is not a foot wide ; and one climber,
some years ago, sat astride It and so ascended,
kicking one shoe off into the abyss on the right,
and the other Into the plain below. After another
scramble, the portion called the " Neck" is reached,
and the climbing is now really "Neck or nothing."
The "Head" is perched as usual upon the "Neck,"
and is an enormous mass of rock about forty feet
high, which overhangs its base many feet on nearly
all sides. A ledge of rock about six feet wide
encircles the base of the spear-like head in the
Illustration. At this point bow and arroAvs or a gun are
brought Into requisition, for it is impossible for

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 217
any human being to ascend the head of Pieter
Both unaided. Even to fire a line over is diffi
cult work. On one occasion a climber made a line
fast round his body, to which his companions
held ; then going over the edge of the precipice
on the opposite side, sustained by the rope, and
his feet pressed against the perpendicular rock, he
leaned back and discharged his gun, but without
success. He then tried throwing a stone over,
which at length was carried across, and a ladder
fixed by ropes and guys. The ascent was then
soon gained, and the hardy adventurer called for
three cheers and named the mountain King
William's Peak. This was in 1832.
We will finish the account of this ascent before
describing the later one. Determined to do
nothing by halves, the tourists made up their
minds to sleep on the summit, whereon they made
a fire and themselves as comfortable as circum
stances would permit. They dined and smoked
and awaited the evening gun from the man-of-war
in the bay. Then they sent up a rocket, and
burned blue-lights, which must have had a beauti
ful effect. Then, wrapped in blankets, they passed
the night on high, a determined sleep-walker of
the party having been for safety's sake tied to his
companion's leg. Fortunately he did not som-
nambullse on that occasion, and the whole party
arose safe and sound, very hungry and very cold,
at daybreak.

2i8 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES
Having carefully fastened a pole upon the sum
mit and attached the Union-jack to the stick, the
party descended In safety to the shoulder, where
they breakfasted. The descent Avas found long
and rather troublesome, but was at length accom
plished without accident, and so ended that expe
dition. Lieutenant Haig's attempt Avas likewise suc
cessful ; but, arrived at the Neck, he and his com
panions had considerable difficulty in shooting an
arrow over the " Head." At length, after making
a series of vain attempts for tAvo hours and a half,
they succeeded In passing a string over. By this a
rope Avas fastened in a slanting direction to the
outer edge of the corner of the head, and in such
a position that if it slipped Avhen the climber Avas
using it he must inevitably be dashed to pieces.
One of the officers tried It nevertheless and
almost succeeded In reaching the summit, but
was so exhausted, he was obliged to slide doAvn
ag-ain. We continue the narrative in Mr. Haig's own
Avords. " I then tried to scale It, saving my strength as
much as possible for the final struggle. On reach
ing the edge, my heart seemed to stand still Avith
fear, for it appeared as though the slightest out
ward pull must cause the rope to shp off the
sloping surface altogether, and hurry me into
eternit}'. Other fears coursed through my brain

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 219
with lightning-like rapidity : I saw that the thin
rope was frayed by the edge of the rock, and I
knew that its slanting position already took away
from its strength. Besides, rain was falling,
which of course made the rope shrink and added
materially to the strain. I rapidly considered
whether it would be better to slip down, or to try
and struggle up, and decided immediately on the
latter. It took a desperate effort to get my knee
on to the edge, and with two fingers squeezed
under the rope where it crossed the top, I raised
myself a little ; for a few seconds I trembled in
the balance, and then fell forward helplessly on
my face on the top, exhausted by excitement and
exertion, but jubilant.
" The first thing to do was to place the rope in
a less perilous position. To do this, A  had
to untie my knots ; here a new difficulty arose, for
not till then did I discover that A  did not
know how to tie them again."
This was a very trying situation, but by shout
ing directions down to his friend the successful
climber was enabled to teach his companion, and,
the requisite knots having been tied, his friend
A  ascended and stood beside him on the top,
a space about twenty-five feet by fifteen In extent.
The view was splendid, the whole island being
visible. The officers erected a cairn on the sum
mit and also a flag, and then descended. The
climb had occupied them four hours and a half ;

220 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
the descent by means of the rope was not difficult,
and was accomplished quickly and in safety.
All's well that ends well — and we have not
seen any account of an accident having happened
on the Pieter Both ; but nevertheless for our own
part we would prefer a somewhat less precipitous,
even if a more elevated mountain upon which to
make our maiden essay.

CHAPTER XXIV.
THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. — THE ROCKY MOUN
TAINS. — COLORADO, AND ITS PEAKS.
A FEW weeks ago we were sitting at luncheon
in a certain restaurant at Ludgate Hill, when a
tall man passing up the room attracted our at
tention. We knew him directly. He turned,
and recognised us at the same instant. We
bowed, shook hands, and finally seated ourselves
at the same table, with our coffee, for a chat.
I had not seen my friend for four years, and
when last I had seen him he told me he was
returning to America (he Is an American) with
the object of mining in Colorado. Colorado ! I
wanted to know all about Colorado, or as much
information as could be condensed Into a con
versation. I got a good deal. I have, I believe,
supplied the missing links from some books, and
noAV with this explanation and acknowledgment
to the Hon. H  ¦ A  , I will. In imagination,
once again cross to America — the great Land of
the West.
How shall we get there .'' Choose your ship.

222 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
There are various lines of steamers contending
in friendly rivalry for the immense passenger
and merchandise traffic between the States and
the mother country. A description of one of
the floating palaces called " Transatlantic Liners,"
would, we are sure, prove interesting to boys,
who are generally fond of the sea and ships.
But however amusing It might be, and would be,
the sea, except in so far as its waves running "moun
tains high " could be treated of, would scarcely come
within the scope of our present papers, and then
the Editor  ! Well, let us proceed.
Suppose we are safely landed in New York.
Those who come to see mountains will do Avell
to undertake another little voyage, after they
have made acquaintance Avith the great metro
polis and experienced its hospitality — though they
will be loth to leave the kind friends they will
have made, and will not overstay their Avelcome,
which Avould be difficult : they may visit the
White Mountains of New Hampshire. These
are dwarf peaks compared with the snow-topped
giants Ave shall meet farther \^^est, but in beauty
of scenery they will compare with any range in
the world. The names of Portland and CoiiAvay,
familiar to us In the old countiy, meet us here
In New Hampshire. Everything the tourist can
desire is to be found In the regions of the White
Mountains ; every luxury in hotels, and even in
a railroad to carry him up Mount W^ashington,

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 223
the highest of the peaks. Though we believe
fifteen or sixteen hundred feet is the highest
elevation attained by this picturesque range, it
has its terrors, as the following abridged narra
tive will show. The "Willey House" is the
standing monument of the disaster.
More than fifty years ago, In June, Farmer
Willey, who lived up in the " Notch," or pass of
the White Mountains, saAv a large portion of the
hill come sliding down, sweeping everything before
it like an avalanche. In August rains set In,
storms came on — and a White Mountain storm
may be described as a " thing to shudder at,
not to see." In this particular storm, tons of
rock and earth were tumbled down the moun
tain ; fire ran along in the tracks of the falling
boulders, and thunder and lightning dominated
the whole. The landslip increased ; the Willey
family rushed in terror from their threatened
home, and Avere never seen alive again.
Next morning, a traveller, ascending the moun
tain, perceived the house standing untouched,
but surrounded by the ddbris of the landslips.
He entered the house, and found traces of hurried
flight. A bible lay open on the table as It had
been left, but no trace of the late Inmates could
be found. They were subsequently discovered
buried in the dibris on the mountain side. Mount
Washington, too, which is now so easy of access,
was formerly regarded as a difficult hill to ascend.

224 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Many anecdotes are related of lives lost in the
attempt, and one gruesome story is told of a
skeleton having been found ; in the mouldering
pockets of the clothing were a watch and some
money, untouched. The traveller had lost his
way and sat down — to die.
Mount Washington, as Ave have said, can be
ascended by a railroad on the same principle as
the later Rigi railway in Switzerland. A small
locomotive, working by a cog-wheel which runs
In a central rail, in addition to the usual wheels,
pushes the train up ; and prevents it coming
down too fast. Thus the luxurious traveller can
ascend Mount Washington seated not on a coach
or on a mule, but in a comfortable carriage, and
admire the scenery at his leisure. There are
other peaks or mounts named after such men
as Adams, Monroe, Jefferson, Madison ; besides
these are Kearsage, Pleasant, and Liberty. There
are few people who will not enjoy the White
Mountains, for even reading and hearing about
their varied beauties has made us long to visit
them ourselves. But we have no space to describe
them in detail. The " Rockies '' call us westAvard ;
the train waits, and we are bound this time for
Omaha. As we proceed we will talk about the
Rocky Mountains and tell you a story.
We have only to take our Atlas to see what an
enormous extent of territory the Rocky Mountains
cover. In the United States, the ranges cover

AN AMERICAN RAILROAD VIADUCT.

226 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
an area of 980,000 square miles. Amongst these
mighty hills are some fine peaks, and If they do
not attain such an altitude as our Himalayan
friends, they form very respectable mountains.
The grandeur, and variety of the scenery, how
ever, and the accessibility of the districts, as
compared AvIth the great Indian chain, make the
Rockies a favourite touring ground, and one from
which no true lover of the grandeur and the
nobility of nature will ever return disappointed.
The Rocky Mountains, and the adventures of the
bold hunters and trappers, have been the delight
of youthful readers for tAvo generations, and will
probably interest the future boys of England.
Those who wish to learn all about the British
Red River Expedition, and the Fur Company,
cannot do better than refer to Major Butler's very
interesting works, the " Great Lone Land " and
Its companion volume.
The true adventures which travellers have
met Avith In the Rocky Mountains and in their
approaches would, if quoted, fill volumes, and we
can unfortunately only here do little more than
refer to them. Captain Palllser and the Baron
de Wogan met with many adventures : the latter
was actually taken prisoner and bound ready for
execution. W^e will relate his adventure as a
specimen. The baron had encamped one evening, Avhen
he was aroused by the groAvling of a bear — a

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 227
" grizzly " — which is the most formidable animal
in those regions. But daylight came, and the
bear had not come, so our traveller kept along the
river until a party of Indians appeared, and all
immediately took to the water. Suddenly the
ominous growling Avas again heard by the baron
In his hiding-place, and the bear leaping into the
water gave chase to the swimming squaws. These
poor women, carrying children on their backs,
could not swim as fast as the men, and the great
" grizzly " was close upon the last woman when
the baron, unmindful of his own safety, fired at
the animal, and wounded it so that It was glad to
return to shore. The Indians now managed to
regain the bank, and left the bear and the baron
to " fight it out." They did so, and though the
baron was at one time in Imminent danger he
succeeded in killing his enemy. "He was up
and at me again In an Instant," writes the tra
veller. " There was no time to reload my rifle,
and my revolver had got stuck, so I could not
use it.
— ~ " But I had all my senses about me, and seizing
my hatchet, I gave my assailant a violent cut
across the head." This caused the bear to fall
to the earth and to " Avrithe in convulsions of
rage." The animal, even though deprived of
sight, made a gallant defence, and after a contest
of twenty minutes' duration he succumbed. The
Indians, full of gratitude (apparently), now arrived.

228 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
and watched the cutting up of the great bear with
much gastronomlcal interest.
The gratitude of the Indian is not a virtue to
be Imitated however. The very man whose wife
Baron Wogan had saved from a terrible death
offered to be his guide, and in the excess of his
"gratitude," In a certain spot, concealed himself,
and shot poisoned arrows at the baron, having
previously robbed him of his little baggage. This
Avas adding Insult to injury ; and the Frenchman
thought so too, for he fired at his opponent and
wounded him ; but not mortally. The Indian fled,
and next night returned on the war-path, AvIth
some other choice spirits like himself, Avho dis
armed and bound the traveller, and carried him
away. When the party had joined their tribe, they led
their prisoner Into the chief's hut, and there he
was convicted of having shed blood, and further
accused of declaring war. He Avas sentenced to
death, and after two more days of imprisonment,
was led out to die. On that day a number of
chiefs and their folloAvers arrived, and the victim
was led Into the midst of the meadow and tied to
the war-post. He had been tied thus for some
minutes, Avhen a chief advanced and addressed
him in English. To this half-European chief M.
de Wogan entrusted his last Avishes, and the man
promised to see them carried out. A locket bear
ing the prisoner's name suddenl}' attracted the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 229
chief's attention. He inquired If he were a
descendant of the soldier named by Sir Walter
Scott in Waverley ; and on learning his identity,
the semi-Indian chief, whose name was Lennox,
interfered to save the baron's life. He succeeded ;
and In a few minutes the prisoner Avas unbound,
and festivity reigned supreme.
This adventure, and particularly Its ending,
reads like romance ; but we are assured It Is true,
even to the fact of an Indian chief having studied
the works of Sir W. Scott. The baron reached
France in safety, and subsequently became an
official in the telegraph bureau.
But all this time we have been supposed to be
travelling to Omaha en rotite to the great peaks
and valleys which we have to explore in Colorado.
Here we are, then, at Omaha, where the Union
Pacific Railway commences. This fine tOAvn is
situated on the Missouri River, and we may per
ceive, from a map of the Pacific lines, that seven
other railways empty their traffic into the Union
Pacific at Omaha. The great station or depot, as
It is called, presents a very different appearance to
our English termini. The variety of race, costume,
and types of character, which can be found in the
crowd, make it an amusing and Interesting sight
for a stranger. Every comfort the traveller can
desire will be found here, and the luxurious " cars "
make travelling as easy as possible.
Off we go. Its bell ringing furiously, the odd-

230 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
looking engine makes its way out of the city, and
away to Nebraska, green and cultivated. Then
come the plains as monotonous as you please, only
more so. Numerous stations are passed ; every
twenty miles or so is a water-station in the prairie.
A windmill and a tank between them supply the
engine, while any passenger may alight, or watch
the emigrant trains as they toil along the dusty
track, which in places runs alongside the railway
line. We are ascending all this time, and at Hill
side station, where we first catch a glimpse of the
mountains, we have gained an altitude of 5,600
feet above the sea. We are now close to Chey
enne, and having run betAveen and under some
sheds, which tell us that snow lies thick in the
winter, we pull up at that city which thirteen years
ago consisted of one solitary house.
There is nothing more remarkable in this
remarkable continent of America than the wonder
ful rapidity with which tOAvns rise up, even from
their ashes, as Chicago proves. Here we are at
Cheyenne, a good-sized town, boasting its thou
sands of inhabitants, and here we can take the
Denver Pacific road to Denver City, betAveen
which town and Pueblo we shall find the highest
peaks of the Rocky Mountains. At Denver we
are only about twelve miles from the mountains ;
and anyone who wants a real good time cannot do
better than go, nor so Avell by not going to Den
ver. There are some fine peaks in the neigh-

CLEAR CREEK CANON.

232 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
bourhood, and from any one numerous others can
be viewed. Mount Lincoln, Long's Peak, and
Pike's Peak, where the signal station is, may all be
visited. We will quote a native authority as to
the grandeur of the prospect : " To the east is
seen Pike's Peak, with the continuous ranges
which extend northward to Long's Peak. On the
Avest and north-west is a vast group of high moun
tains gashed with deep gorges. To the southward
can be seen a remarkable range of mountains, the
Sawatch, with a wilderness of conical peaks —
more than fifty of them rising to an elevation of
13,000 feet and over, and more than two hundred
rising to 1,200 feet and over."
Mountains, however, we can see In other parts
of the world, but a great feature of the " Rockies "
is the caiion or deep ravine, which is nowhere
more striking than In Colorado. These wonderful
fissures are now traversed in places by railroads.
We may mention Clear Creek, Boulder, and
Platte Canons, besides the great canon of the
Arkansas. The cafions of the Colorado River
are even more stupendous. For miles and miles
the river runs between perpendicular masses of
rock thousands of feet high. The Gunnison
River also has enormous canons. We are sur
prised in Switzerland when we first enter the gorge
of the Tamina or of Ffaffers at Ragatz, but Avhat
should we say to a gorge three hundred feet
wide, bounded by rocky Avails, In places, nearly

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 233
three thousand feet high ? These lofty walls are
level, and on them again rise other towering rocks
and lofty bastions, such as can be seen nowhere
else in such perfection. Far beneath rushes the
river, which, during these long ages, has forced its
way through the fissure, grinding and levelling the
everlasting rocks into fantastic forms of castles
and buttresses.
But the grand Canon of the Arkansas is per
haps the most wonderful of all. We learn from a
Denver paper that the first train passed through
the caiion on 7th May, 1879. The scene Is
described as awful. Imagine, sa}'s the writer, two
almost perfectly perpendicular walls, rising up to
two thousand feet, Avith jagged masses overhang
ing the railroad, thousands of tons weight, appa
rently ready to fall. There is no room to step
from the train except into the river. The tra
veller " is imprisoned in a crack thirty feet AvIde
and partially under one mountain wall." The
walls of rock recede up to nearly a thousand feet,
and then they again approach each other, till, at
that altitude, they again close and come to within
thirty-five feet, at an altitude of tAvo thousand feet
above the spectator.
Let us then In a fresh chapter look Into the
Avonderful cations of the Colorado, and relate
some adventures connected with them.

CHAPTER XXV.
THE CANONS OF TIIE COLORADO RIVER.
The Colorado River, starting upon the true
hicus a non Iticendo principle, is not in the State of
Colorado at all. We have before us a very excel
lent map ; and tracing the Colorado backwards to
its origin we find that its parent is the Green
River, which, united with the Grand (not the Rio
Grande), and supplemented by the San Juan
River, Issues as the Colorado between Arizona
and California. Grand River rises in the Rocky
Mountains, near Long's Peak, and Green River
starts away In the "Wind River" Mountains, by
Fremont's Peak, still farther north. The general
appearance of a caiion we have already mentioned,
so we will proceed to describe the Colorado, AvhIch
is one of the wonders of the world.
Very little Avas knoAvn about this most Avonder
ful river till lately. All kinds of tales Avere cur
rent respecting it ; ancl the river was by some
supposed to disappear and flow underground for
hundreds of miles; no one had ever penetrated
those Avonderful gorges ; and until the Colorado

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 235
River explorers set out in 1869, this big and
romantic river was closed to nearly all travellers.
For the main facts of the following account Ave
are indebted to Major Powell's narrative of his
experiences. The exploring party left the Green River city
in the month of May ; and amid the hearty good
Avishes, and. It may be added, with the forebodings
of the lookers-on, the boats started, four In num
ber. Rations had been laid In for a ten-months'
journey, and all scientific and useful instruments
and utensils and tools were provided.
At first the river Avas comparatively plain sailing.
The current carried the boats merrily along, and
If the water occasionally " lapped " over, it was
quickly baled out again. But ere long the rapids,
or cascades rather, necessitated a portage, and the
boats were carried and re-launched. One day,
however, when all was apparently going well, one
of the boats got caught in a cascade, and before
any assistance could be rendered, over it went.
The first fall was not great ; but, just beyond, the
stream fell about forty feet and broke into whirl
pools. The boat dashed down, and, striking a
rock, the occupants were thrown into the water.
Fortunately they all managed to clamber upon an
island of rock in the centre of the stream, from
which unpleasant position they were happily soon
rescued. But this was not the only peril to which
the adventurous party was exposed. Water they

236 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
could to a certain extent provide against ; but fire
was an unexpected enemy, and so more dangerous.
On one occasion they had camped, when a sudden
gust of wind scattered the . fire amongst the dry
bushes and underwood. In a few moments all
were in flames. Every one rushed to the boats,
and it was as much as each could do to save him
self. The cook grasped the mess-kit, and leaped
into the boat ; but, stumbling, he fel), and nearly
all the knives, forks, and spoons went down into
the river. The party, once let go from the bank,
were carried down, and at length landed, not with
out some difficulty.
And so on for days. Caiion after caiion was
passed, the rocks piled up in the most fantastic
and yet in the grandest shapes imaginable ; vast
domes, tall pinnacles, towers, cathedrals, and
bastions, all of solid rock, chiselled, scooped, and
carved by the irresistible power of the river. Such
a scene can be viewed nowhere else, and those
who have ever seen such will not soon forget it.
To follow our adventurers step by step is im
possible : the journey is a record of hair-breadth
escapes and plucky endurance. Noav caught in a
whirlpool, now carried helplessly along, dashed
against a rock, and escaping death almost by a
series of miracles ; hurled from rock to rock by
the angry current, the boat nearly swamped, the
hardy explorers still continued their way. Some
times carried helplessly doAvn a roaring rapid

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 237
sometimes gliding between perpendicular cliffs two
thousand feet high, the clear still water revealing
immense depths as the boats passed over the
pools, our friends proceeded to gain the Grand
Canon of the Cplorado.
Now came the supreme test. The party had
carried on, notwithstanding all obstacles ; but now
they reached a strange and awful gorge. The
walls are " more than a mile in height," says our
historian. " A thousand feet of this is up through
granite slabs, then slopes and perpendicular cliffs
I'ise one above the other to the summit." Through
these awful depths the boats glided amid the roar
of waters, the men listening for the still greater
roar of the rapid and the cataract. In these the
boats became unmanageable, and were tossed to
and fro like chips. Then the great heavy clouds
came down, and rested upon the upper walls of
this great canon. A black roof, granite walls, and
a roaring rushing stream below, was not a cheering'
prospect. Then came rain. Rain there means a
small deluge, for in a few minutes every rill
becomes a brook, and every brook a river.
Torrents fall from the steep cliffs, and the side
gullies become swollen streams, raising the main
river many feet.
On the 27th of August, just three months after
their dejDarture, the determined explorers came to
a very " nasty " place indeed. After some observa
tions Avere taken, it was concluded that forty-five-

238 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
miles still remained to be explored in a direct line
— probably ninety by the river, and to this task
the leader now addressed himself. Two of the
party left the boats here, for they could not
reconcile themselves to the descent of the caiion.
So the passage of the last important section was
made short-handed.
The parting was, as may be imagined, a solemn
one. Entreated not to venture, the sturdy explorers
still bravely persevered, and decided to try con
clusions with the river, which flowed through an
entirely unknown chasm, from which escape back
wards was impossible, and Avhere failure meant
death. Each party thought the other reckless ;
and it was impossible to foretell Avhat fate had in
store for either. The two who preferred to pro
ceed by land stood watching the remainder of the
party as the turbid river carried them away. And
so they parted.
For a Avhile the river party proceeded all right,
but at length they came to a " bad " place. A
fall In front was not to be lightly encountered, and
•a halt was called to inspect it. There was no
chance of a portage, but while the leader was
absent, thc men began to let the boats down with
ropes. One man remained in the foremost boat,
which was fastened to a rock, while another rope
Was fetched. The occupant, thinking It better to
run the fall than to Avait to be dashed again and
again against the rocks, and so die by inches, was

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 239
about to cut the line, when the boat broke adrift,
and away she went dipping clean under and out of
sight, although the spectators were standing a
hundred feet above the river. Boat and occupant
were gone, and a great fear rendered the others
speechless. But at last the brave fellow reappeared, and
still sticking to his boat, piloted her safe through
the rapids. The others forgetting the danger
got into the other boat and followed. Ina moment,
the second boat was rolled over and over, but the
occupants were at last rescued by their companion.
The voyage continued until night, and next day at
twelve o'clock the explorers emerged in safety
from the Grand Caiion of the Colorado.
Of the men who deserted the expedition and
their adventures, we have seen no record, but Ave
believe it has been written by Major Powell."*
*******
In following the Colorado we have been some-
Avhat hurried out of our Avay. We can now return
for a brief breathing space before ascending Into
the Sierra Nevada. So Ave Avill fancy ourselves
back at Cheyenne once again, and take the Union
and Central Pacific roads past S.alt Lake, and down
to Sacramento for a peep at Mount Shasta.

CHAPTER XXVL
fROM CHEYENNE TO SACRAMENTO. — THE SIERRA
NEVADA.
As we steam out of Cheyenne, Ave perceive,
when we look back, that the track is on a rising
gradient, but it is not an obtrusive rise. W^e are,
however, reminded of the elevation at which we
are travelling by the numerous sheds and fences
erected to keep off the snow, as on some European
mountain roads (the Mont Cenis for example).
We read, or mayhap hear, of whole flocks frozen
in a night in places along this high-level line ; and
we think we would rather not travel across this
continent in winter. Some of the stations at which
the train stops are more than eight thousand feet
above the sea-level, and dispute for the chief seat
in the altitude of stations. Still we proceed over
the Black Hills, down into the Laramie Plains,
and then we face the range of the Medicine Bow,
a wild sharp set of peaks, and here the traveller
will find Mount Agassiz, Sheep Mountain, and Elk
Mountain, hillocks compared Avith what we have
passed. As we proceed, we cross Green River

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 241
and the curious Giant's Butte, a fortress of rock.
But on we speed past numerous stations, until we
quit Wyoming State for Utah, where now we may
expect to behold something very grand indeed ;
and the traveller who is disappointed with Weber
and Echo Canons will indeed be hard to please in
this particular kind of scenery. But the train will
not wait for you to examine it. At the summit of
the grade the steam is shut off and strong brakes
are applied, but away speeds the train, turning
corners in places Avhere any farther progress to
those looking ahead appears impossible. The
engine is rushing to certain destruction over a
precipice, or against a mighty mass of rock dating
from some remote period anterior to the Flood.
You shut your eyes and hope you will fall soft (not
that it will matter how you fall if you do fall), and
with a grinding swerve the danger Is passed, and
the colour returns to your cheek. You breathe
again for a minute and then the precipice again
looks ugly. The formations that meet the eye in
all sorts of fantastic shapes would, even In isolated
cases, be celebrated In England. So on we steam,
now In a stupendous cafion, and now running
through a beautiful valley, until the town of
Ogden is reached.
Ogden Caiion opens into the Valley of Salt
Lake, and at Ogden the Union Pacific railroad
comes to an end, more than one thousand miles
from Omaha. This is a busy place, and here Ave

242 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
must change carriages. The luggage is transferred
and registered, and during the hour and a half
that is occupied in transferring goods and bag
gage the traveller may peep at the city. From
here the journey may be made to Salt Lake Cit}^,
the Mormon capital, and much that is interesting
might be Avrltten about the locality, but we forbear
to add more than a few lines.
Great Salt Lake Is no tiny patch of water for
skaters. It is a " crisp " and sometimes rough
piece of water, seventy-five miles long, and nearly
half as AvIde, containing six "respectable" islands
in Its friendly grasp. One of these is about
sixteen miles long, and has a mountain three
thousand feet high as Its crest. The density of
water is nearly the same as the Dead Sea. The
city Is situated close under the mountains, and
divided into Immense squares by handsome streets,
one hundred and thirty-tAvo feet wide.
From Ogden the railway enters Nevada, the
" Desert State," and a dreadfully dusty and dreary
desert it Is. In every direction this Sahara
extends, though noAv and then an oasis like
Humboldt pleases the eye. But the desert must
have its day, and it has it. Next morning, however,
Ave are welcomed by the " pine-clad Sierras," and
the Avelcome coldness and variety of the alpine
landscape. We have entered California ; Nevada
Is passed, and we are In the heart of the glorious
Sierra.s, respecting which Ave may occasionally

THE CANON OF THE C0L0R.\D0.

244 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
refer to a constituted authority, Mr. Clarence
King. Mr. King says that " the ancient history of the
Sierras goes back to a period when the Atlantic
and Pacific were one ocean." Professor Whitney
first explored these mountains, and he has pub
lished his experiences. We wish Ave had space
to follow Mr. King in his interesting account of
the formation of this beautiful range. From
beneath the mighty ocean the Sierras Avere gra
dually built up. Then came a great upheaval,
when the ocean flowed back, and a deluge of
melted rock poured out, while the rent mountains
glowed with molten stone. Rivers and lakes
were evaporated in steam and mist. Mighty
volcanoes poured out their fires, and, at length
exhausted, died out. Then the cold firm hands
of winter, frost and snow and glacier, bound the
mountains. The rocks were rent and chiselled
by the mighty wear and tear of Ice, the glaciers
were checked by warmth again, and forbidden to
descend to loAver earth. So, driven to keep their
court in the grand summits, the glaciers and the
snow drifts live to bear testimony to the past.
For four hundred miles these mountains stretch
in a wave-like outline. The pines upon these
elevated slopes are most Avonderful, growing some
times more than one hundred feet high. We Avill
return to these mountains immediately, but Ave
must first get to Sacramento, and through the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES 245
country so celebrated by Mr. Bret Harte, the
famous author of " Roaring Camp."
The rail winds down the Western slopes, where
the prospect is magnificent, and from the station
of Summit the descent into Sacramento valley is
made. By mountain, lake, and river the railway
continues its course, through miles of snowsheds,
past the Emigrant's Gap, and on and on by the
Great Giant's Gap, the great American River, by
all the mining district, and so by the sensational
"Cape Horn" into the midst of fertile California.
About seven days from New York, Sacramento
is reached, and thence the traveller can easily get
to San Francisco.
Thus the journey ends ; a most wonderful trip,
which no pen can do adequate justice to, and
which, once undertaken, will never be forgotten,
though it has its drawbacks and is at times mono
tonous. We have endeavoured to give a short
description of it, and trust that some of our young
readers may be tempted to study the grandeur of
Nature's handwriting, and to learn the lessons,
well worth remembering, taught and vouched for
by the testimony of the rocks.

CHAPTER XXVII.
THE SIERRAS. — MOUNT TYNDALL AND ITS PERILS.
 MOUNT SHASTA.
In our last chapter we referred to the Avonderful
upheaval of the Sierra Nevada, and spoke of it
generally. We will now endeavour to make an
ascent of a mountain or two in that beautiful
range. But it would be highly injudicious to
attempt to scale any such heights without assist
ance. In such expeditions as these an ex
perienced guide is necessary, so let us take
Professor Whitney and his friend Mr. Clarence
King, whose very pleasant volume, " Moun
taineering in the Sierra Nevada," will afford much
entertainment to any boy who may be desirous
to learn somethino- about those western ranees.
So with this experienced leadership Ave will ven
ture to look at the great mountain range Avhose
eastern slope trends rapidly to the plain. The long
line of sharply pointed and snow-clad peaks is visi
ble from afar, and extends from lat. 35° to 39° 30',
and for certainly four hundred miles the Sierra
Nevada constitutes a ridge across the rnnt;r.o"<-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 247
and divides the fertile soil and Avarm climate of
California from the almost desert strip of land
on the eastern side. Mr. Kinsf and his com-
panion set off in May, 1866, mounted upon
mules, which exhibited a peculiar antipathy for
each other, so one rider was always about a
quarter of a mile in advance of the other. The
journey was not very pleasant. Water, we read,
was only found at intervals of sixty or seventy
miles, and when found was not nice. This was
the beginning of a series of adventures in the
Sierra Nevada, including an ascent of Mount
Tyndall, which we fancy it would please our
British " Alpine " Clubmen to accomplish.
The undertaking was apparently impossible.
The prospect was not pleasant. From the point
the explorers had gained it appeared that the
Sierras made two " summit ranges," and they (the
travellers) were standing upon the westernmost
of the ridges. Beneath was a gulf several thou
sand feet deep ; a deep cliff ending in a snow
field, and opposite rose a magnificent mountain
wall, the grandest in America. The undertaking
the expedition had to accomplish was to climb
that wall.
We cannot, of course, follow the explorers step
by step up this mountain. Those who wish to
do so must read the book ; but we may give a
few indications of the perils of the ascent. The
party bivouacked high up the slope on a granite

248 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
shelf, and at four o'clock, a.m., when the explorers
woke, the thermometer marked 2° above zero, and
everything Avas frozen as hard as possible. They
started up the snow slope, and the snow and the
slope became more difficult. No ice-axe was
handy to cut the necessary steps. Any advance
in that manner Avas made by means of a bowie-
knife, a useful weapon, but scarcely suited for
step-cutting. The prospect In front Avas not
encouraging. " To look back when we stopped,"
says Mr. King, " was to realize our danger ; that
smooth swift slope of Ice, carrying the eye down
a thousand feet to the margin of a frozen mirror,
ribs and needles of rock piercing upAvards through
the snow, so closely grouped that had Ave fallen
a miracle only might save us from being dashed
to pieces."
No foothold above and an Impossible descent,
would appear to ordinary mortals something like
a "fix,'' but Messrs. King and Cotter did not
look upon it at all In that light. They, like
Englishmen, did not know when they were
beaten. But they had reached a place Avhere
there was no possible advance by any ordinary
means. The only thing to do Avas to use the
lasso, and after repeated attempts they succeeded
in throwing the rope over a pinnacle of rock and
up this they hauled themselves hand over hand.
Mr. King pulled himself up the sheer vertical
face of the precipice, swinging like a pendulum

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 249
over an abyss some thousands of feet In depth.
The instruments were hauled up. Mr. Cotter
followed and the ridge was gained.
Now the question arose as to the method of
proceeding. To climb to the great white peak,
the goal of the expedition, a descent must be
made down a steep precipice. This undertaking
reads like a romance, and were it not that the
expedition was for the purposes of science we
should think it foolhardy. Looking down this
wall of rock a tiny ledge was discovered, just
sufficient space for the men to stand on, but no
room for the knapsacks. King was lowered by
his friend ; then the knapsacks were let down
and hung on a neighbouring pinnacle. Then
Mr. Cotter came swinging down and the noose
was cast off. There they were, no possibility of
return, standing upon a shelf of granite two feet
wide and no point to fasten a rope to. How to
proceed was now a question simply of life and
death — that was all.
Such a position as this for a real professional
climber would be almost unattainable bliss. No
person worthy of the name of climber or crags
man would care to ascend a mountain in which
he could not feel he was hourly risking his neck.
But Mr. King and his friend had an excuse, they
Avere bent upon survey duty, and accordingly
determined to try the climb. By a series of
gymnastics which it would require the volume

250 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
to tell, or a Leotard to explain, one of the men
let himself go — only supported by the rope from
above — but the rock overhangs the next shelf
and the cheerful sensation of dangling over the
brink of eternity Avas the predominant feeling.
There was only a chance — and here we will
quote the narrator for a sentence — " I loosened
my hold and slid quickly down. My shoulder
struck against the rock and threw me out of
balance : for an instant I reeled over upon the
verge In danger of falling, but in the excitement
I thrust out my hand and seized a small alpine
gooseberry-bush. Its roots were so firmly fixed
in the crevice that It held my Avelght and saved
me. So far so good, but worse remained behind.
We mean no reflection upon the gentleman left
above. The luggage-knapsacks came down
bumping, and were hauled in safely. Then came
Mr. Cotter's turn. In a few minutes his boots
appeared hanging over the pent-house ledge in
front. Mr. King gathered in all the rope and
told his friend to drop. He naturally hesitated.
With great presence of mind, Mr. King lay in
wait, and Avhen his companion let go, he Avas
caught by the shoulder and thrown back upon
the granite shelf, three feet AvIde — safe and
sound. But there Avas much more to be done ; thus foot
by foot the precipice Avas conquered, and a bivouac

05

"all

252 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
was gained. Night came on and still the great
mountain was unvanquished. At half-past three
a.m. the travellers were again afoot, and a tremen
dous snow-slope had to be encountered. We
question whether the terrible, or rather lately
terrible Matterhorn has anything to compare
Avith the summit of Mount Tyndall. The melt
ing of the ice in the morning sunlight liberated
immense blocks. These tons of granite flew
past, and the determined climbers scrambled up
apart for fear of killing each other by dislodging
a block or two. Still the men Avent on, and
reached a point where to fall into a crevice on
one side meant being " Avedged to death between
rock and ice ; " a slip on the other meant a shoot
of five hundred feet and a precipice. The moun
tain summit. was guarded by a seemingly inacces
sible granite wall all round the peak. Except
in one spot it was absolutely blank. Here no
general description avIII do justice to the situation,
and we must quote the end. It is enough to
make one shiver to read.
" Quite near us the snoAv bridged across the
crevice, and rose in a long point to the summit of
the wall — a great ice-column — its base ten feet
wide, narrowing to two feet at the top ! "
This must have been a sort of aipuille of ice,
and up this it was necessary to cut steps. At first
the snow gave pretty firm footing, but the upper
portion was pure ice. "It was so vertical and so

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 253
thin that," says Mr. King, " we did not dare to
cut footsteps deep enough to make them absohitely
safe.
There was a fear that this ice pinnacle would
suddenly snap like an icicle, and at last the spire
of ice became so thin that it was embraced by
both arms, the climber, as on a tree, cutting mere
toe-holes and clasping the ice closely. By this
method the top of the granite wall was reached
— an easy slope to the summit was followed up
rapidly, and the grand peak was named Mount
Tyndall. So this tremendous mountain was Avon. That
there are higher ranges Ave admit, and perhaps
the dangers may appear greater to the reader
than they did to the travellers. But Ave cannot
remember ever realizing the danger of climbing
so much as when perusing this narrative, and
we wish we could have reproduced it more fully
-^it is well worth reading.
The descent was accomplished in safety. The
dangerous places were neither few nor far between,
and those who wish to know how boot-soles came
off and the tremendous precipices were slid down
barefoot, can refer to the book. But if the ascent
had been difficult and perilous the descent called
forth such courage and real self-denial as any one
ever possessed.
This praise may be thought extravagant. Well,
then, boys, you who admire courage or pluck, read
R 2

254 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
what follows, and tell us then what you think. —
The friends had to climb a wall of rock ; about
two feet above King's hands was a crack Avhich,
if his arms could have reached, would have brought
him to the top, as he judged. Beneath was a
sheer ice slope, and Mr. King, finding the reach
above too long, made way for Mr. Cotter, whose
longer arms might reach and grasp the crack.
NoAv mark the sequel.
He (Cotter) reached the farthest point to which
his companion had got Avithout difficulty, and
" made a bold spring for the crack, reaching it
without an inch to spare, and holding on Avholly
by his fingers. He thus Avorked himself along
the crack towards the top, and at last getting his
arms over the brink, gradually dreAv his body
out of sight . . ." He said he was "All right,"
and said to his friend, " Don't be afraid to bear
your weight." But the other determined to do
the Avork unaided as his friend had done it ; so
when he had gained his former position, he
gathered up all his strength and made a spring,
"just getting the tips of his fingers in the crack."
The narrator says —
" I felt the sineAvs of my hands relax a Htde,
but the picture of the slope of ice and the blue
lake affected me so strongly, that I redoubled my
grip and climbed slowly along till I got one arm
over the edge, as Cotter had done." Looking up,
Mr. King saw that his friend was sitting upon a

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 25 5
smooth slope — no brace for his feet nor hold for
his hands ; " the rope was tied round his breast,
he knowing that my only safety lay in my being
able to make the climb unaided, certain that the
least waver in his tone would have disheartened
me." Now that was real courage : to sit as he did
to give confidence to his companion, knowing that
the least pull would have dragged him into
eternity, and yet he was Avilling to encounter the
risk for his friend, seated at the door of death,
and silently listening for the fatal summons.
W^e cannot follow these adventurous climbers
farther. We have said enough to show that the
grim yet beautiful Sierra Nevada of the Ameri
can continent possesses features which in point of
grandeur and danger are at least the equal of the
formidable Alpine peaks. We very much doubt
whether these mountains will ever become the
" playground of climbers " that the Alps have
now been for some years, even if the facilities
of modern travel should render them as acces
sible ; but we would advise any person Avith health,
money, and leisure, to pause and consider before
he decided to turn his back upon the majestic
Sierra Nevada.
We cannot quit the Californlan Alps without a
reference to the magnificent peak which rises at
its northern extremity — Mount Shasta ; clad in
perpetual snoAv, it cannot be mistaken. It is a

256 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
curious fact that Mount Whitney, though more
lofty, loses its white crown during the summer
months. Shasta is nearly 14,500 feet high. Mount
Whitney is nearly 15,000. In the valley of the
Sacramento river, the traveller will obtain the
best views of this noble mountain, which is really
an extinct volcano, and for any one endowed with
good muscles it is not a very difficult climb, across
the lava and up the snow slopes. The usual
manner of ascent, we believe, is to go up from the
Strawberry Valley for about ten miles to where
the line of timber-growth ends. Thence, by rising
early next day and pushing on, the mountain may
be scaled and the return to camp successfully
accomplished. Sometimes, hoAvever, the venture may be made
and result in danger. The clouds may and do
come up suddenly, and cumuli in that neighbour
hood being interpreted mean "snow," and snow
on Shasta is no joke. For those who Avish to read
about Shasta, and the scenes that took place, the
work of Mr. Miller avIII supply all details. "Life
among the Modocs" Avill give the reader some
insight into the surroundings of this mighty moun
tain. To be caught in a snowstorm upon this
mountain-side is an experience we Avould rather
not undergo. On one side the thickly-falling
flakes, upon the other the hissing and boiling
orifices or " fumaroles " which indicate the hidden
fires beneath. Hot mud and gravel underneath

A MONARCH OF THE RANGE.

258 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
and cold white shroud above. The experiences
of a party of gentlemen who were caught in such
a storm in the year 1875 may prove interesting.
They ascended upon a beautiful day, and had
no fear of snow till the clouds opened on them.
They tried to descend, but were obliged to camp
out. The development of the storm is reported
as gentle, and In the early stages of the night the
party tried to be cheerful. They lay In the snow
upon their backs, and having got Into that com
fortable position, some of the party at least did not
rise up again for seventeen hours ! At first it
seems it was rather amusing than otherwise to
watch the snowflakes filling up the creases in their
clothing ; but for our OAvn part we imagine that
there are other occupations even more Interesting,
not to say profitable, under the circumstances.
The tourists were resting upon a hot bed of laA'a
Avliich after a time made the under-side of their
bodies unpleasantly Avarni, AvhIle the upper por
tion Avas half frozen. By degrees the crust of
lava began to give Avay, iieAv vents for heat and
vapour were opened in the mountain. The ten
dency of the gases thus set free Avas to produce
sleep and probably death ; and any yielding to
this influence might have had a fatal termination.
We can picture the long hours of that night.
All around a Avinding sheet of snoAV, and under
neath a volcano smouldering and hissing. No
food procurable, the Avhole j^arty Aveakened by

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 259
cold, and fatigue, and hunger, calling to each
other at intervals in the hope of keeping each
other awake, and in hourly expectation of getting
no reply from one or the other of one's com
panions. " The weary hours wore on like a mass
of unnumbered and unforgotten years."
And so on throughout the night. The stars
were brilliant, and almost took away the sense of
suffering when apparent In all their brightness. But
though, in a half-dreamy state. Imagination would
clothe the surroundings with a strange beauty,
nothing could alter the terrible truth that the men
Avere slowly and surely freezing to death, and if
morning and sunlight did not soon come, there
would be no one left to tell the story.
In about thirteen hours from the first darkness
clay began to daAvn. The snow had commenced
to fall so thickly on the previous evening, that
night had apparently come early, and about two
feet of snow had accumulated In a very short
space of time. At last the morning broke, grey
and frosty : no sun as yet had reached the men.
The pale light stole doAvn the mountain along the
smooth snoAv, but no sunshine. It Avas the ist of
May. At last, about 8 a.m., the tourists rose and
struggled to descend. They were almost frozen.
The warm mud, upon which they had lain so long,
alone had kept them alive. After a feeble descent
of three thousand feet, the power of the sun was
felt, and strength returned. The guide Avho had

26o ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
come up to seek them, though without any anxiety,
soon met them, and they were saved.
The appearance of the mountain from below
had not indicated anything unusual. A cloud
Avas noticed, but the fall of snow at a lower level
Avas very slight, and the absence of the travellers
had caused Htde anxiety In the camp. No ill
effects were ever encountered, and the memory
of the terrible night upon Shasta "now appears
like a dream." *
* This adventure appeared in " Harper's Magazine."

r._-.~-l

CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE YOSEMITE AND THE YELLOAVSTONE. — WONDER
LAND.
Before we leave North America and its Avon-
ders, there are two localities which we should like
to visit if space will permit. These are the Yose
mite Valley and the Yellowstone, -though the
latter district comes more directly under the
heading ofthe Rocky Mountains. We in crossing
the continent did not go so far north, preferring
to devote a separate chapter to the wonders of the
Yosemite and Yellowstone in which actual moun
tain adventure is not necessary to a thorough
enjoyment of the extraordinary scenes so bounti
fully spread out for us. We will therefore proceed
to explore these districts in as complete a manner
as is consistent with our object. Let us com
mence with the Yosemite.
The term Yosemite is an Indian one and means
" Grisly Bear," but we believe the Indian tribes
have long ago dropped this title and content
themselves with the name Ahwahnee. This
charming valley is situated, as we presume most

262 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
of our young readers are aware, in California,
some 1 50 miles south-east of San Francisco. A
fine river, the Merced, runs through It ; and the
Yosemite Valley, in consequence of the beauty
and grandeur of Its surroundings and the peculiar
loveliness of its Avaterfalls, is a favourite tourists'
resort. It Is midway between the eastern and
western bases of the Sierra Nevada, about one
mile in width and nearly six miles long. It is
very considerably lower than the surrounding
regions. There are plenty of hotels, and the
Valley is preserved for public use and recreation
for all times. No speculative builder can divert
the falls, or partition off this valle}^ charging so
much a-head for viewing the handiwork of nature.
The Valley is managed by commissioners for the
State of California under an Act of Congress.
Some people visit the Yo-Semite from Mariposa,
and have a look at the mammoth trees. The
Valley can also be reached from Merced and
Milton. Let us glance at the great Mariposa
grove, and the proportions of some of those trees
Avill astonish visitors a little. To begin Avith,
some trees have fallen on the ground ; if you
doubt the size of those standing, you can ride
throu^rh the trunk of one of these fallen griants.
One AVC know of admitted a horseman for one
hundred and fifty feet. About a hundred and
twenty feet round is fair measurement for tree
trunk, Avhich Ave may estimate gave a height to

THE YOSEMITE FALL.

264 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
the living tree of about four hundred feet. This
is pretty " tall " measurement, but we do not think
it is in any way exaggerated. " Up a tree" in
Mariposa would be no figure of speech. Even
Colonel Crockett's celebrated coon would have
fancied itself quite safe in that giant grove, and
would have declined to descend though bidden by
that redoubtable marksman.
Leaving the trees and climbing for about four
teen miles in the direction of the snow-peaks, the
tourist will reach the top of the precipices guard
ing the Yosemite Valley, and at length the visitor
will reach a- point where he can view the valley
from a sheer elevation of three thousand feet.
Opposite this granite wall is another as stupen
dous ; perpendicular, and, apparently, as smooth
as chisel can make it. High above these grand
precipices rises the Sentinel Dome and the mag
nificent block of El Capitan. The group of rocks
called the Three Brothers is associated with the
true Yosemite Fall — or Cho-looke. This is stated
to be 2,800 feet high ; the beautiful Bridal Veil
Fall is the first at the entrance to the valley ; but
it is the former waterfall that our illustration seeks
to depict (p. 263). The Indians' name for the
Bridal Veil is " Pohono," or Night- Wind, and they
are said to avoid it ; no inducement will persuade
them to sleep near it, for several Indians have
perished in the waters, and they can hear the voices
of the dead calling to them to shun the spot.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 265
But the voices of the Indian ghosts do not
deter English or Americans from camping in this
lovely valley. No description can do any justice
to the varied beauties of the Yosemite. The
varied light and shade, the grand cliffs, the sound
of many waters, and the lovely rainbow hues
above the falls, make up a combination AvhIch no
amount of writing can do justice to. We will not
attempt it. The valley has been so often de
scribed in guide books, cyclopaedias and magazine
articles, that this common-place record must ap
pear tame to a degree. We will not rush in to
describe what better men have feared to touch
upon. Had we time to follow Mr. Muir In his
tracks over the Sierra Passes up from Yosemite
we should have more to tell of Alpine (Californlan)
heights and storms and precipices. The Mons
Pass is more travelled than the others, but none
of the passes of the Sierras is less than eight
thousand feet above the sea-level. Now before
taking our leave of these magnificent mountains —
and it is with real regret that we do so — we must
mention a curious phenomenon known as the
"snow -banners." This peculiar appearance is due
to the dusty and meally snow being carried along
by the wind. The appearance of the snoAv-
banners is rare and the north-wind is the only air-
current that Is advantageous to the display.
Looking from the ridge over the Yosemite Valley
towards the snoAV-clad Merced Range, the scene

266 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Is described as most magnificent. Picture to
yourself the dark mountain peaks — " rising sharply
into the azure sky, their bases set in solid white,
their sides streaked AvIth snow like an ocean rock
with foam — and from every summit all free and
unconfused, a streaming banner from two thousand
to six thousand feet in length, slender at the point
of attachment," until it Avidens out, as It is gradu
ally extended from the peak, to a width of a
thousand or fifteen hundred feet.
The extraordinary appearance of these snow-
banners must bear some resemblance to a series
of volcanoes, or to a lime-light suddenly opened
from each summit. The "texture" is like that of
fine silk. Some of these banners stream out a
long distance above others, while some cross each
other and even overlap the intervening peaks.
The cause, as explained by a Avriter in " Harper's
Magazine," Is attributable to the favourable direc
tion and great force of the Avind, the abundance of
snow-dust, and the peculiar conformation of the
peaks. He says it is essential that the wind
move with great velocity to supply a sufficient
stream of dust, and the Avind must come from the
north. We AvIU now pass eastAvard to the Avonderful
region of the Yellowstone, AvhIch Ave can only
touch upon briefly ; to describe all its peculiarities
would require a volume. The Yellowstone Na
tional Park is in Wyoming territory Avhich is

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 267
north of Colorado and Utah. We have already
in imagination touched at some of its towns, such
as Cheyenne and others on the U. P. railroad.
The Rocky Mountains cross it, but the large
portion of the territory lies N.E. of the great
"divide." But on the north-western corner of
Wyoming territory lies the grand "Wonderland ;"
and the " National Park," like the Yosemite, was
set aside for a recreation ground for the people.
The mountains surrounding it are nearly twelve
thousand feet high and the whole region Is In an
extraordinary state of volcanic activity. The
geysers and hot springs it contains "whip crea
tion," and put Iceland completely in the shade.
The number of springs and geysers is enormous,
and the latter throw water two hundred feet into
the air.
We must pass over the history of the fine
Wind-river range which extends laterally from
the Rocky Mountains, and for reasons we must
also ignore the Astor expedition under Captain
Hunt, and Captain Bonnerville's expedition in
1833. This gentleman was lost In the range and
only escaped by scaling its gigantic peaks. So
late as 1860 Captain Reynolds had great difficul
ties to encounter in his exploration and govern
ment survey. But the most extraordinary and
terrible adventures of all befell Mr. Truman C.
Everts (not the Secretary of State) Avho for
thirty-seven days, wandered In that terrible avH-

268 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
derness. Mr. A. P. Langford wrote a very inte
resting account of the expedition. They started
to scale a lofty mountain, and after four hours'
incessant toil they reached the summit, 11,350
feet above the level of the sea. The mountain
embraced a most extended view. Jets of geysers,
volcanoes of mud, ranges of mountains and count
less peaks gave them an unrivalled prospect.
At length observations Avere completed, and
they descended the mountain, but the darkness
overtook them, they missed the track and had to
make a blind cast for the camp. They reached it,
and two days after when searching for a pack
animal, as well as for a route by which to proceed,
one of the party was missed. Though this at
first gave no uneasiness, his continued absence at
length caused great anxiety. After a long delay,
as provisions were rapidly diminishing, only three
of the company were left to continue the search,
and the remainder traversed the region of Won
derland which we cannot now describe.
Fact is stranger than fiction, " which nobody
can deny," and any reader who avHI peruse the fol
lowing extracts from or rather n'sumc' of Mr.
Everts' experiences, will coincide AvIth that re
mark. Mr. Everts found himself separated from
his companions, but at first felt no alarm. At
length, seeing that he could not rejoin them that
evening and feeling quite sure that he Avould find
his friends next morning, he set about making a

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 269
camp, built a fire and went to sleep. Next day,
in searching for the trail, Mr. Everts became
rather confused, and while examining the ground
something frightened his horse, which bolted ofi
and carried away matches, fishing-tackle, blankets,
fire-arms, everything except two knives and a
small opera-glass. Nothing daunted, Mr. Everts'
search for the camp continued ; he posted up
notices and struck out in a vain endeavour to
recover his horse. But even when convinced of
the impossibility of ever regaining It, the idea of
being really out of the way of his companions did
not occur to him. It was an adventure — nothinsf
more. Night fell and the searcher was no nearer
camp than before. It became evident that a night
must be spent in the forest — a night rendered
hideous by wolves, night-birds and coyotes. Next
morning the traveller found his notices which he
had posted upon the trees at a distance — quite
unnoticed, and then he realized the fact — he was
lost !
No food, no fire, no nieans of procuring either ;
one hundred and fifty miles distant from human
habitation, AvIth no means of transport, and sur
rounded by wild beasts. This was the situation,
and it was sufficiently alarming. In addition to
these terrors the fears of meeting Indians, for the
first two days, gave Mr. Everts much anxiety, but
after that time he would have welcomed gladly
any of the tribes, for food and safety could have

270 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
been purchased by promise of reward. At length
a sail became visible upon the lake which now
opened before him. Safety and help at last are at
hand. Hurrying forward he sought it — and as he
approached, it turned to meet him. Bitter was the
disappointment — the supposed canoe was but a
pelican, which flapped its long wings and flew
slowly across the sheet of water. This was
terrible. Completely unmanned, Mr. Everts now
began to feel all the realities of his position, and
starvation stared him in the face. Night Avas
again approaching, he had no food and no fire,
when fortunately he noticed some thistles. He
tasted the root — it was palatable and nutritious,
and his "first meal for four days was made on
thistle-roots." This was a great joy to him as now
he need not absolutely starve in the wilderness.
Somewhat re-assured Mr. Everts lay down to
rest but was awakened by a horrible screaming.
It was the screech of a mountain lion, and as
quickly as possible Mr. Everts mounted into the
tree close at hand. Round and round the tree
the savage monster proAvled, howling with rage,
while in his terror, unable to encounter it through
weakness, Mr. Everts broke off branches of the
tree and tried to keep the animal at bay. After a
time it sat quite still, and Mr. Everts fancied it
was preparing for attack, when suddenly it dashed
off Into the thicket and appeared no more. In
credible as it may appear, the hero descended

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

271

from the tree, and, completely overcome with
fatigue and with the sense of overpowering weak
ness, he lay down to sleep in his former position
and did not wake till a change of temperature and
a pitiless storm driven by an east wind had
chilled the sleeper and aroused him to a sense of
his terrible condition.

CHAPTER XXIX.
MR. everts' ADVENTURE (concluded).
For two Avhole days the lost explorer was
obliged to remain where he was, while the storm
raged, his only food being roots and a poor be
numbed bird, which he devoured raw. When the
storm had somewhat subsided, Mr. Everts man
aged to reach the natural hot springs, near the
mountain which had lately been named after him ;
and here, notwithstanding a recurrence of the
elemental warfare, he managed to exist for seven
days more upon roots, boiling them in the hot
springs as he required them. Although so near
to heat as to be actually burned — and on one occa
sion severely burned when lying upon the ground
asleep — the solitary had no nieans of producing
fire. The falling snow benumbed him, and we
can imagine the pitiable condition to Avhich he Avas
reduced. Such an experience as he survived
would furnish material for another " Robinson
Crusoe " narrative ; and were Ave not assured of
the truth of the statements, the adventure Avould
appear incredible. The Avant of fire was keenly

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 273
felt, and Mr. Everts was actually erecting a cairn
to his own memory, believing that he would not
survive, when a sudden gleam of sunshine re
animated him. At that moment he remembered
that the lens of the opera-glass he still retained
would serA'e as a burning-glass, and he at once
tried the experiment. To his great joy he at
length succeeded in kindling some dried pieces of
wood, and courage again rose In his breast. He
determined to make an effort at release. He
equipped himself with a " knife," formed from a
sharpened tongue of an old buckle. With this,
and the threads torn from his handkerchief, he
mended his tattered clothes. Of a pin he
fashioned a fish-hook ; and by sewing up his boot
legs he made two pouches, in which he carried a
supply of food. Thus accoutred, he quitted the
hot springs. But now the feeling that his friends
had abandoned him returned with tenfold in
tensity, and an insane idea — a dreamy sensation
of "duality of being" — took possession of him.
It is impossible to follow Mr. Everts through
all his wanderings in this Wonderland. Those
who would read his narrative in Its entirety, must
seek it in the American magazine in which It first
appeared ten years ago. We avIU therefore hasten
to a conclusion ; and for those who believe in
ghosts, and (as some one has said) " Appearances
are certainly in their favour," Ave can recommend
the termination of Mr. Everts' adventure.

274 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
It was one day after he had inadvertently set
the forest on fire, and had narrowly escaped de
struction, that he experienced a strange hallucina
tion, which led him eventually in the right direc
tion. " An old clerical friend, for whose character
and counsel I had always entertained peculiar re
gard. In some unaccountable manner appeared to
be standing before me," says Mr. Everts, and
gave him the following advice : —
" Go back. There is no food here, and the
idea of scaling those rocks is madness."
After some expostulation from the wanderer,
the shade replied, " Return at once. Travel as
fast and as far as possible — it is your only chance."
So, all objections having been overruled by the
spectre, which (or who) was kind enough to keep
the lost man company, Mr. Everts plodded back
in the direction he had come ; and whenever he
endeavoured to question the correctness of his
convictions, the old friend " appeared to him with
words of encouragement."
Thus the terrible struggle continued. Day after
day the same dreadful privations, day after day
the sickening uncertainty of deliverance, changing
to the certainty of death in those desolate regions.
Once the valuable lens Avas lost, and a weary
tramp of five miles had to be undertaken in order
to regain it. The last fire was lighted, and, seiz
ing a burning branch, the wanderer struggled on.
He was now on the trail, groping his way along,

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

275

when suddenly the flash of steel caught his eye,
and two men approached him : —
"Are you Mr. Everts ?" they said.
" Yes, all that is left of him."
"We have come for you."
Thenceforth he was safe. From these humane
if rough explorers, sent out through the kindness
of Mr. Everts' companions, the nearly exhausted
wanderer received every attention. After a long
period of suffering consequent upon the privations
he had undergone, Mr. Everts was at length able
to be carried home, and not long after that he
recovered his strength sufficiently to describe
what he truthfully terms those " Thirty-seven days
of peril."

CHAPTER XXX.
SOME MEXICAN MOUNTAINS. — POPOCATAPETL AND
ITS crater.
We must now hasten southwards, and as quickly
as possible seek the Mexican volcanoes which re
joice in sucli wonderful names. We have a good
deal of ground to traverse, and a long flight to
take over Mexico. We would gladly linger on
the way, and give our Pegasus a rest, but we are
bound for that distant peak of Culiacan in the
Western Sierra before Ave can perch upon Popo-
catapetl and Orizaba near Santa Cruz.
If any boy seeking information as to the exact
position of Culiacan will look along the twenty-
fifth parallel in the map of INIe.xIco, he avIII find
the mountain. It is a most extraordinary peak,
and ascends to a point not unlike a broken lead
pencil from which the lead has fallen out. The
name means in the Indian language, "Arrow-
peak," and is pronounced Cool-ya-can. It is a
volcano, and those desirous to reach it can do so
from Mazatlan on the Pacific, from Avhich town the
mountain is distant about fifty iniles.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 277
This really extraordinary mountain rises to an
elevation of thirteen thousand feet. The upper
portion Is covered with a cloak of snow, and is
remarkable for Its form, A\^hich can scarcely be
compared with any mountain of which we have
seen a representation. It is so isolated, so
pointed, and so very peculiar, that comparison
would fail to give any distinct Idea of its form, but
the broken top of the pencil will suffice for an
Illustration. It appears perfectly Inaccessible ; we
believe even Mr. Whymper would not succeed
here, for though the slope is at first not very tre
mendous, the last few thousand feet are elevated
at an angle of less than thirty-five degrees, and
from its isolated position it Is impossible to get
very close to survey it. It is a spire and nothing
less, and perhaps the most remarkable mountain in
the world. Now having rested ourselves for a
few moments upon Culiacan we Avill fly away
south-by-east and alight In Vera Cruz in order to
make the ascent of the famous Popocatapetl and
Orizaba. Vera Cruz is certainly the most convenient
place from Avhich to ascend these fine mountains
which rise from the elevated table-land. In both
the northern and southern districts we find similar
features. First Ave have a few miles' stretch of coast-line,
then a gradually ascending slope up to the spurs,
and then Ave reach the high lands AvhIch run

278 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.^
parallel with the sea-board for many hundred
miles. The variety in dress, language, and general
appearance of the inhabitants, wiH strike the
visitor to Santa Cruz. Negroes, Mulattos, In
dians, Mestins, Europeans, Creoles, are all to be
found there. Parisian costumes are seen side by
side with native dresses, negresses smoking pipes,
and Mexican ladies puffing cigarettes ; luxury,
well clad, elbows poverty in rags and tatters.
The country presents as great contrasts as its
inhabitants : sandy tracts, volcanic regions ; al
most Arctic landscapes and tropical vegetation ;
beautifully wooded slopes with oak forests, and
arid plains.
The Spanish appearance of the towns is strik
ing, and Moorish characteristics will be noted in
the interior of the houses. Out of doors black
vultures and wretched looking dogs dispute for
kitchen stuff, or other refuse.
Ascending from Vera Cruz the road lies over
a sandy district, but before very long we shall
reach a wooded region, where beautiful flowers
rejoice the eye. By the river's brink various
strange birds will be observed, herons and spoon
bills may be seen upon the trees, and perhaps an
alligator will shoAV up upon the bank. Subse
quently a palm forest may be reached, and then
the plains being left behind, we ascend to the vol
canic region, in which tremendous crevasses and

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 279
chasms betoken the terrible forces which are ready
to work such fearful havoc. These tremendous
chasms, or " barranacas," are sometimes a thou
sand feet deep, and frequently of great width.
Through these, as in the canons of the more
northern states, torrents sometimes rush with
great force, making beautiful waterfalls and cas
cades. From the city of Mexico, Popocatapetl Is dis
tant about twenty miles. The name is derived
from the Aztec " popoca," to smoke, and " teptl,"
signifying " a mountain." Its height is said to be
18,362 feet above the sea, though Humboldt gives
the elevation at 17,773. ^^ the former estimate
be the right one, the " smoking mountain " is the
highest point in North America. It is also very
close to the equator, and thus in a tolerably warm
situation, but nevertheless it is covered with per
petual snow. It is a volcano, as we know, but
does not now condescend to produce more than
an occasional smoke. More than three hundred
years have elapsed since Popocatapetl has really
been in eruption, but no doubt some day it will
again burst forth, for we cannot imagine that the
Smoking Mountain avIII not verify the proverb
that where there Is smoke there must be fire.
This splendid mountain rises up from the table
land, as you will see by the accompanying illus
tration. This plateau is about eight thousand feet
above the sea-level, so we can understand that for

28o ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
all Its eighteen thousand feet elevation, Popocata
petl will not appear very high — not more than
eleven thousand feet above the observer. These
circumstances naturally reduce the grandeur of
the appearance of the mountain, and yet it is a
splendid mass ; still Orizaba which is not higher,
appears very much more lofty because it can be
seen from a much lower elevation, Indeed from the
sea-shore it is plainly visible.
There are other snow peaks besides the two
we have mentioned (Orizaba is known also as
Citlaltepetl or the Starry Mountain). We have
the "White Woman," or Istacclhuatl (pronounced
Iztas-si-whatl). This mass is so called because
the summits give to the whole range the appear
ance of a giantess, clothed in Avhite garments,
reclining upon her back. There are other peaks,
AvhIch, though just now at rest, may any day
break out in terrible eruption. That no imme
diate danger is apprehended, Ave may imagine when
Ave read that men venture into the very crater
of the Smoking Mountain to collect sulphur.
These adventurous individuals are let down by
ropes, and thus, suspended over the abyss, noAV
and then illumined by the sudden gleam of sub
terranean fire, those hardy natives avUI run a ter
rible risk for a few pence.
We may gather from the foregoing that the
ascent of Popocatapetl Is not a very dangerous
adventure, and }et so far as our investigations go.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 281
it is an ascent, not very frequently attempted. It
is reported that the extreme tenuity of the air
offers the great objection, but lately Mr. Whymper,
who (to use his own expressive phrase) has been
"polishing off" the highest summits of the Andes,
maintains that even nineteen thousand feet in that
range is not an inconvenient altitude by any means.
We shall refer to this question by and bye ; at
present we are quite disposed to agree Avith
Mr. Whymper, for do not people live and move
in South America, happily and undisturbed, at an
altitude at which (in Europe) we should feel very
ill indeed ? We are more inclined to think that
in the uncertain snow, and dust and scoria of the
volcano, adventurers without all the latest Alpine
" improvements," find the " Smoking Mountain "
rather out of their way.
The first ascent of Popocatapetl was made so
long ago as 1522 by command of Cortes. Fran
cisco Montano was then the pioneer of the ex
pedition, and from the account of his journey, we
gather that not only did he reach the summit, but
he permitted himself, or rather desired that he
should be, let down into the crater with ropes,
to a depth of nearly four hundred feet. This was
the more venturesome, because only just before the
mountain had been showing signs of considerable
activity, and some men had at that time been sent
up to "look into it." They went as desired,
but we may conclude they " didn't quite see it,"

282 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
because, though they came down boastfully de
claring that they had explored it, Cortes distinctly
states that, owing to the immense quantity of snow
upon the mountain, such an ascent as they had
described was impossible.
After a very considerable lapse of time, other
ascents Avere made. In 1827 the brothers Glennle
reached the summit. Samuel Birkbeck, Baron
von Gerolt, and subsequently several officers of
the United States' army, stationed in Mexico,
"polished off" Popocatapetl, to their intense satis
faction. The Minister, Don Manuel Siliceo, in 1857,
sent a scientific commission to investigate the
mountain, and on the 20th of January in that
year they started with two guides, and no less
than eighteen porters. These porters were men
well acquainted with the mountain, and are de
scribed as "stout feHows. They found the road
bad, but it at length led them into a ravine where
it Avas easier going, and then it again ascended
till a spur of the mountain Avas reached. After a
rocky climb the party reached a spot where they
determined to bivouac, and they accordingly did
so, and went to bed — all but the Indian members
of the party, who prepared for a hard day, by
dancing and singing all night.
At daybreak the Avhole party Avere on foot, and
after an hour and a half of scrambling, a rocky
wall was reached. Another hour was consumed

,/,, //////mm.

piipOC.vT.ArrTi .

284 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
In upward progress, and then the horses which
had hitherto been serviceable, were discarded,
and sent back. One of the Indians worked as a
guide, and cut steps in the snow and ice for the
party. The Indians, by the way, seemed quite
unaffected by the rarity of the atmosphere which
affected the members ofthe expedition In a greater
or less degree. Some became pale, others blue,
and generally the scientific gentlemen suffered
considerably. Nevertheless, at half-past one p.m., they all
reached the edge of the crater, and climbing up, ¦
cast themselves upon a Avarm bed of sand, on
which they rested, and endeavoured to take a
little refreshment. But this was not quite the
place. Anything spirituous cracked the lips and
tongue, and produced worse effects, Avhich even
the sight of a pulley and ropes, destined to lower
some of the party Into the burning crater, could
not entirely remove. It must not be imagined
that the crater of a volcano is a small hole in
the top. It Is an immense chasm. In this instance
nearly a mile across as ascertained by the echo.""'
" The crater Is cuplike In form ; great icicles hang
from the edges, strong sulphurous fumes attack
the nostrils, and steam escapes with a noise as
from a locomotive." Stones and rocks fall from
the crater continually, and the uproar has been
* AVe fancy a mile round would be nearer the measure
ment. — H. F.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 285
compared to volleys of musketry. Under these
circumstances it may be regarded as a pleasant
locality to choose for a night's rest ! But when
to these surroundings is added the chance of an
eruption or the probability of an earthquake, or
even suffocation by the fumes which are said to
arise on all sides, the reader may consider it a
mountain almost worthy of ascent by a real
climber. Let not the practised and blasd tourist yet de
spair, however. There is another chance. There
is (or was) a certain " bed of volcanic sand and
rock" at an angle of 35°, merely held up on the
points of some rocks beneath, which rise from the
edge of the crater. Anything that disturbed this
sand, would, as a matter of course, fall with it into
the depths below. Situated on the way to this
slope is a grotto known as " Dead man's Cave,"
because a sulphur-gatherer once died there. Now
one has only to enter this cave, and step out on
the slope of debris, slanting at the angle of thirty-
five degrees, to experience quite a new sensation.
We learn from the quaintly worded report —
" From hence the descent is made to the bottom
of the crater." We can quite believe it. Nor is
the rope absolutely necessary for the descent.
All round are certain " respiraderos," or blow
holes, whence issue columns of water, and of
various coloured vapours — some are simple chim
neys, about tAventy feet wide. But notwithstand-

286 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
ing all these " fumeroles " and hot pipes, the
bottom of the crater is covered with snow. The
members of this expedition give eight hundred
yards as the diameter of the crater, and this is
more probably the extent of the chasm. The
Avhole party spent the night up close to the crater,
and In the morning enjoyed a splendid view.
They got to their former camp in safety, and sub
sequently made other expeditions in the cause of
science. An ascent was made in 1 866, and the illustra
tions of the mountain and the incidents of the
journey appeared in the " Illustrated London
News." The party on that occasion were able
to take their horses within two miles of the snow
line, and in four hours and a half after that the
crater was reached. Near the summit the whole
party found great difficulty of breathing, and fre
quent pauses were necessary. From all accounts
we may fairly judge that Popocatapetl is not such
a very formidable mountain to ascend as perhaps
its name might induce one to believe ; the diffi
culty lies in the pronunciation.

CHAPTER XXXI.
ORIZABA. — M. DOIGNOn's AND BARON MULLEr's
ADVENTUROUS EXPEDITIONS.
The chain of the -volcanoes of Mexico may be
said to extend between the nineteenth and the
tAventieth degrees of north latitude across the
country. Near Vera Cruz the region is very
volcanic, and indeed all over the country the
results of subterranean action are evident ; and
there is a decided connection between the out
bursts in widely separate localities. So we may
conclude that underground the fires are still burn
ing, though " banked up," and ready to break out
when circumstances shall favour the eruption.
Orlzava (or Orizaba) the " Mountain of the
Star," = " Citlaltepetl," had for a long time the
reputation of being the most lofty of the Mexican
Andes ; but although it rises very nearly to the
altitude of the " Smoking Mountain," we believe
the latter Is the superior, although Orizaba, from
its more conical form, may readily be pronounced
the higher of the two. There can be no doubt
Avhatever about the volcanic character of this fine

288 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
mountain. Even did not the occasional vapour
rising from its peak tell us that the hidden fires
were lighted, the immense crater plainly visible to
the eastward of the cone would settle the ques
tion. When this mountain came out in eruption,
it did not do the thing "by halves." We read
that " about fifty years after the arrival of the
Spaniards in Mexico, in 1569," an eruption of
Orizaba took place, " which lasted, almost without
interruption, for twenty years," but curiously
enough was not accompanied by any discharge of
lava. After this little episode it is no Avonder that the
inhabitants In the district fancied it impossible to
gain the summit of the mountain in safety, and so
far as we are aware Orizaba remained unattacked
for some centuries. In 1848 some American
officers said that they had ascended the mountain
in safety, yet according to M. Sartorius no one
credited the statement. But whether they did or
not, we learn that in the year 1851 a party of
eighteen made up their minds to go up to the
crater. On the first day they all started In high
spirits and reached the limit of vegetation. Here
they encamped for the night, and at sunrise next
morning they attempted the really difficult part
of the journey on the ice. At first all went well,
but the struggle proved too arduous. After a
brave attempt to fight against the rarefaction of
the air, one half of the party, which was composed

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 289
of various representatives, viz., one Britisher, one
American, a Belgian, two Frenchmen, and thir
teen Mexicans, relinquished the undertaking and
returned. The remainder pushed on, but this
moiety again was diminished by half, and but six
of the party succeeded in reaching the rocks which
run across the snow-clad cone on the northern
side. Here the half-dozen rested, and while rest
ing, came to the determination that farther pro
gress Avas futile, not to say absurd. So they
turned their backs upon the " Mountain of the
Star," and all descended to the plains once more
— all but one man.
This one man — a Frenchman — repented. He
would not succumb, and taking leave of his friends
he turned about, and after a long and fatiguing,
solitary, but not dangerous climb, he alone suc
ceeded in reaching the summit, in five hours and
a half from the halting place. The view he de
scribed as magnificent and perfectly unclouded.
The crater Is beneath the actual summit of the
mountain, and lies upon the eastern side. He
also made a discovery, and in the crater, or rather
we should say planted at Its edge, was a flagstaff,
bearing a portion of an American flag and the
date 1 848 ; thus it became evident that the state
ment of the American officers was absolutely true,
and that they had succeeded in mounting to the
cone. Notwithstanding the Frenchman's proof as

290 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
borne out by the discovery of the American flag,
the inhabitants of the village at the base of the
mountain would not credit his statements. They
determined to put him to the test, and, probably
in the charitable expectation of proving him a
romancer at least, they incited him to make a
second ascent the following week. To make as
surance quite sure, a number of unbelieving Mexi
cans determined to accompany the intrepid French
man, but as things turned out they might almost
as well have remained below, for as soon as they
reached the limit of the snow, they all "caved
in ;" and permitted M. Dolgnon to continue the
ascent or not as he pleased.
This time the adventurous climber was not so
fortunate. Not only had a late fall of snow
hidden his former track, but the numerous fissures
and crevasses were quite concealed by the white
carpet. Although proceeding very cautiously,
Doignon fell into a chasm, from which he fortu
nately rescued himself by means of his staff. We
cannot sufficiently admire this man's pluck and
endurance. He had been doubted, his honour
was at stake, and he determined to succeed.
There was no inducement held out to him, no
newspapers were ready to hail him as an ex
plorer, or to write leaders upon his "doughty
deeds." No modern appliances Avere at hand to
mitigate the severity of the ascent. He knew
that if he failed he would be ridiculed and held up

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 291
to public opinion as an impostor, and he deter
mined to go up again. He did. He reached the
rocky ridge, which, standing up darkly from the
snow, gave him a landmark whereby to fix his
direction. Having gained this ridge he set off
again, but unfortunately lost his way. By keep
ing too much to the left he soon found all farther
advance apparently cut off by an enormous
crevasse, or bergschrund we should probably call
it in the Alps. This " chasm " is stated to be
twenty-five feet wide, and four hundred feet deep,
a sufficiently formidable obstacle for an ordinarily
experienced climber. This bergschrund extended
a mile and a half across the mountain, and M.
Doignon could find no means to cross it except'
upon a " fragile ice-bridge." Such a prospect was
not encouraging, but to return was almost as
repugnant to him as to ascend. He chose the
latter alternative, and after a most dangerous and
giddy climb or craAvl along the slippery bridge of
ice, and over several small crevasses, the adven
turer reached the opposite side in safety. Then
he rapidly ascended the cone and was near the
conclusion of his task, when a wall of ice inter
posed itself between him and the longed-for
summit. This was enough to break the spirit of many a
bold climber, even if accompanied by a guide or
two. A steep ice-slope ending in a beigschrtmd
is not a pleasant termination to a mountain, and

292 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
to an inexperienced and unaided climber must
have appeared more than sufficiently terrible.
But M. Doignon "pulled himself together" and
boldly attacked the wall of ice. In momentary
peril of being dashed to pieces, he at length
reached the top of the ice. The snow here gave
him firmer footing, and he rested in comparative
comfort. His troubles were not ended though,
for a thick fog soon enveloped him for a time, and
when it cleared off he found " a succession of
isolated rocks several hundred feet high, rising
like a ruined wall " on the north-east side. But
not to multiply descriptions, we may say that
after a hot climb — and this is no figure of speech,
-for the rocks Avere hot, and sulphur Avitli volcanic
ashes were all around him — M. Doignon. suc
ceeded in reaching the crater once more and
looked into it. The following is his description
of what he saw : —
" A fearful gulf which on the east side may be
five hundred and fifty feet deep. In this gulf
enormous pyramidical rocks are seen dividing it
into three openings, tAvo smaller ones to the
south, the largest one to the east. On the north
side, about one hundred and fifty feet from the
edge of the crater, a gigantic black cleft rocky
pyramid rises to the height of more than four
hundred feet. From the large opening to the
east volumes of steam, strongly impregnated with
sulphur, constantly rise as If from a flue. A Ioav

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 293
rumbling is heard in the depths causing a feeling
of anxiety in this lifeless wilderness."
M. Doignon planted the flag he had brought up
wrapped round his waist, and then made the
descent in safety. He rejoined his companions
at the foot of the glaciers in the evening. They
could now no. longer pretend that this courageous
young man had not succeeded In gaining the top.
His flag was there to prove it. A few days after
wards, he was entertained at a public banquet,
and his pluck and endurance received suitable
acknowledgment in the shape of valuable presents
from the inhabitants of St. Andreas Chalchicomula.
Four years afterwards, another very interesting
ascent was made by Baron Miiller. After passing
the night In a shepherd's hut nearly three thousand
feet above the sea-level, and having a splendid
view of a thunderstorm raging far beneath them,
the party started next day, and reached the base
of the peak. But when on the following morning
the final essay was made, the guides gave in, and
the travellers had to carry their instruments them
selves. The ascent is described as exceedingly
abrupt, the sunlight glare from the snow affected
their eyes, and the snow was covered with a mere
coating of ice which was continually giving way
beneath their feet. Still they toiled upwards and
were nearing the crater, when Baron Miiller heard
a cry from one of his companions. Turning round
the baron saw that his friend had fallen into a

294 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
chasm up to the arm-pits, and just then, the baron
adds — " One of my legs broke through the ice,
deep into the snow beneath. We were in fact
standing over a vast abyss, from which we were
separated only by a thin coating of snow and Ice.
It was in vain that the eye sought for indications
of rock or soil, columns of ice and crystals filled
the depths beyond, and the abyss instead of being
dark, was splendidly lit up by some subterranean
light." It seems that the prospect was rather too
dreadful for the baron and his friends, who more
over had scarce standing room. They accordingly
let themselves slide carefully down until they
reached firmer ground. Meantime thick clouds
arose ; and, as the provision basket had been re
linquished in the glissade, it was judged advisable
to return to the hut Avhere the supplies and the
"guides" had been deposited.
The night was passed in this extemporised
shelter, and It is described as a most painful and
distressing sojourn. Severe pain in the eyes
attacked all the party, and when Baron M tiller's
two friends awoke, they discovered to their horror
that they were perfectly blind! This was a
terrible calamity, and in such a position most
distressing. To proceed under such circum
stances was impossible, so the baron tried the
western passage to the village as the most easy ;
but, notwithstanding, the journey Avas attended

TIERRA DEL FUEGO.

296 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
with great difficulties, as the poor blind travellers
had to be led across very dangerous ground, and
over a portion of the mountain where rolling
stones and volcanic evidences were frequent.
A pine-forest was at length reached, and a
supply of water and a certain lotion enabled the
snow-blind travellers to obtain some relief. Still
it was not for some time after the village was
reached, that their eye-sight was In any degree
restored, and many days elapsed before the un
fortunate sufferers Avere able to proceed.
The baron, hoAvever, finding his friends in a
fair way of recovery, made up his mind to get to
the top, and set off, accompanied by a Mr. Camp
bell and a M. de la Huerta, who had volunteered
to be his companions. The party started on
horseback, and after a nearly fatal accident caused
by an unexpected slip of the sure-footed animal
ridden by M. de la Huerta, they reached their
camping-place. We need not folloAv them up the mountain, as
the ascent has already been described. The
suffering they endured, and the many narrow
escapes they had must, so far as we are concerned,
now remain unrecorded. The enormous crater is
described, and the night Avas passed in the grotto
of the Velia de Lopes, the floor of which being
more or less covered AvIth Avater, did not add to
the comfort of the party it sheltered. The descent
was accomplished in safety after all, and when the

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 297
travellers were approaching the town of St. Andreas
Chalchicomula, they were met by the greater part
of the population with music and banner.s, coming
to congratulate them on the success of their ex
pedition. These various ascents tend to show that, al
though the gigantic Orizaba Is as a rule quite
quiet, there is still a tremendous amount of sub
terranean fire glowing beneath the snow-lined
crater which may burst out any day, even though
three hundred years have now elapsed without
any serious eruption from the " Mountain of the
Star." We will now proceed to the Andes and Tierra
del Fuego for a season.

CHAPTER XXXII.
THE ANDES.  MR. EDAVARD AVHYMPEr's ASCENTS. 
CHIMBORAZO,. AND THE VOLCANOES OF THE
CORDILLERAS.
We spoke In our last chapter about Tierra del
Fuego, and the illustration appended (p. 285),
shows the pointed peaks of the Land of Fire.
But before we can penetrate so far South we
have to look at the Andes, and we regret that
space, or rather the want of It, will not permit us
to do more than take a somewhat superficial in
spection of the mighty volcanoes In this splendid
mountain range, Avhich has been estimated to
extend actually from the mouth of the Atrato to
the rocks of Diego Ramirez, a distance of four
thousand five hundred miles. But if Ave include
the connected chain of the North American con
tinent, we have full nine thousand miles of con
tinuous mountains. Geographically, the Andes
are divided into groups. — W^e have therefore the
Andes of Grenada, of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia,
Chili, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. The
summits of this chain vary from Cape Horn, Avhich

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 299
Is three thousand feet high, to the magnificent
Aconcagua, which is more than twenty-two thou
sand feet above the level of the sea. The geology
of the Andes Is comparatively little known, but it
is pretty certain that these mountains AA'ere up
heaved before the Rocky Mountains. There are
numerous volcanoes in the range, no less than
fifty-one having been counted. In Ecuador the
volcanoes are particularly prominent, but all are
not equally active. In the district near Quito, the
greatest number of active volcanoes have been
observed, and as Is the case in Mexico, the issue
of lava is not generally to be seen. Cotopaxi,
which is perhaps the most generally active of the
whole, shoots up fiery matter, it is said, to a height
of three thousand feet, and the detonations and
thunders of this mighty volcano have been heard
at a distance of nearly six hundred miles. On
one occasion a mass of rock was hurled from the
crater to a distance of more than eight miles.
This rock measured three hundred cubic feet.
To climb such mountains as the Andes may
well be considered a feat, or succession of feats, in
mountaineering. These mighty summits till
lately— that is, till February, 1880 — have defied
humanity to overtop them. It has been reserved
for our countryman, Mr. Edward Whymper, the
conqueror of the once invincible and still formid
able Matterhorn, to vanquish these giants, and in
the following letter, which we reproduce from the

300 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Times, his grand triumph is recorded in a very
unostentatious manner, though such results must
have cost weeks and months of trouble, anxiety
and calculation. Here is the letter — addressed to
Mr. Tuckett, a Avell-known Alpine climber.
Quito, March i8, 1880.
" My dear Tuckett,
" You will be glad to hear that I have
succeeded in polishing off Chimborazo, Corazon,
Sincholagna, and Antisana. We have also passed
twenty-six consecutive hours on the top of Coto
paxi. This last I reckon a feat, and I am not
aware that any one has ever before encamped at
so great an altitude as 19,500 feet
" Antisana is the most difficult of those we have
been up, and feAv more difficult ascents have ever
been made.
" We are noAv going off to Cayambe, the moun
tain on the Equator, and shall try on the same
journey to polish off Saranen and Cotocachi.
Cayambe is thought to be an active volcano, but
it is not certain that this is the case, neither is its
height well determined. The height of Saranen
is not known, but it is high. Cotocachi is the
volcano which destroyed Ibarra some years ago,
and is reputed to be 16,300 feet high.
" We have grown out of being affected by rare
faction of the air, and can be quite gay and lively
at 19,000 feet. At first I Avas fairly knocked over

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 3°!
by it, and was rendered quite incapable. The
Carrels also were nearly as bad,
"The way in which one's time gets muddled
away here is horrible. Direcdy you get into a
town or village you seem to be stuck fast. And
Ave were unfortunate, first in getting stopped at
Colon by the destruction of the Panama Railway,
and secondly by Louis Carrel getting his feet
frost-bitten on Chimborazo, and being useless to
me for five weeks afterwards.
"The climate of Ecuador is the most utterly
abominable that can be imagined. We have not
had one single day fine from beginning to end,
and not one view from a mountain top. An hour
of clear weather from six to seven a.m. is the most
you can reckon on, and after that everything is
bottled up in a mist. If this letter is deficient in
clearness you will understand why.
" We carry about mercurial barometers every-
Avhere, and boil water to an extent that would
delight your heart. " Faithfully yours,
" Edwarx) Whymper."
Here we have the brief report of the victory
gained over five immense peaks, and we can quite
appreciate the difficulties and dangers which
were overcome by the irresistible Whymper,
who has given the details of his excursions
in the "Alpine Journal," and other papers. U 2

302 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Climbing such mountains as these is no mere
Alpine excursion. To the comparatively known
dangers incidental to frost and snow, we have in
the Andes the certain uncertainty of volcanic
action. At any moment some huge gap may
occur in the path, or a fissure yawn behind the
traveller and for a time effectually bar his retreat.
Even the passes of the Andes are at a great
height, and Quito, Avhere Mr. Whymper dated his
letter is ten thousand feet above the level of the
sea. From this elevated position the inhabitants
can gaze upon the snow-clad giants, but we very
much question if the most venturesome, if even
the oldest, inhabitant ever thought of climbing up
these mountains.
There is one point to which we have already
incidentally referred, and which is commented
upon in Mr. Tuckett's letter, enclosing Mr. Whym
per's communication, and that is, the possibility of
breathing without difficulty at an altitude of nine
teen thousand feet. We think, putting Mr. Whym
per's experience aside, that there can be no doubt
that one may become accustomed to the rare
faction of the air, and not feel any ill effects from
it. In foregoing chapters we have mentioned
instances in which the " mountain sickness " has
been very marked. Dr. Saussure felt it on Mont
Blanc — people still experience it at even less
altitudes. On this very Chimborazo, Humboldt,
although he did not gain the top, " felt a dispo-

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 303
sition to vomit, and blood came from his lips and
gums." But it is quite possible to get accustomed
to rarefied air, for we know that in South America
women will dance for hours at an altitude not far
short of that of Mont Blanc, and the batde of
Pichincha was fought at a similar elevation. For
other views in substantiation of this, vide Bous-
singault's " Voyages aux Volcans de I'Equateur!'
Mr. Whymper is the first traveller who has
ever gained the crest of Chimborazo, although
Humboldt reached within a thousand feet or so of
the summit. He pronounced Cotopaxi quite
inaccessible, but Mr. Whymper has convinced us
that Humboldt was in error on this point, and we
have read that in 1872 the mountain Avas ascended
by a German traveller. Monsieur Boussingault
has also ascended Chimborazo, Antisana, and
Cotopaxi, but did not reach the actual crests.
This account of the ascent of Chimborazo is
interesting, and we will glance at it briefly.
From Riobamba, where the traveller was stay
ing, he made the attempt, and on the 14th
December, 1831, he started. The party .slept ata
farm-house, some twelve thousand feet above the
sea-level, and on the 1 5th they started on mules.
The slope got so very precipitous, that the mules
halted frequently, and after attaining an elevation
of sixteen thousand feet, the party reached the
glaciers. The difficulty of breathing became very
great, and only a few steps could be made at a

304 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
time. The snow gave no secure footing, so after
some hours' climbing the party found that they had
scarcely ascended one thousand feet.
The expedition Avas at length given up for that
day, and the travellers returned to the farm Avhere
they had passed the night. They determined to
ascend the other slope by which Humboldt had
gone up, and by this route they gained a height of
1 8,460 feet, but were by no means satisfied. From
the place where they were resting, they had on the
right a frightful abyss, and on the left an immense
turret. It was important to gain this tower of
rock, and at length by a series of gymnastic exer
cises sufficient to rouse the emulation of the native
goat, the travellers reached the red tower. The
next step was to test the immense snow-slope in
front, and here the leader of the expedition dis
played much presence of mind. He directed his
negro attendant to try it first, and finding the snow
was of " a convenient consistency," the ascent was
continued. What would have become of the negro
if the snow had been of " inconvenient " consis
tency we can only conjecture.
But presence of mind was not confined to the
nominal leader : Colonel Hall Avho had gone up,
had with the aforesaid negro planted himself
firmly but kindly to receive the narrator. He, in
sliding over, detached a piece of rock, which fell
so close to the colonel as to cause him to totter.
In nowise alarmed, this gallant officer drew his

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 305
pocket magnifying-glass, and turned it upon the
rebellious stone, which was good enough to keep
quiet. The unlucky stone was a block of trachyte.
Such heroism as this deserves record ; the ascent
was subsequently continued with excellent results.
The air was found very exhausting, the snow most
difficult, and underlaid with hard and slippery ice.
Steps had to be cut, and as may be imagined this
cutting fell to the lot of the negro, who was
" exhausted in a moment." This was not pro
mising, and as regards the duration of labour was
rather disappointing. The narrator went to help
and incontinently slipped, when, though held up
by his companions, he and all were in imminent
danger for a time. But courage returned, and in
one hour and three quarters the party landed on
the ridge, which is rather vaguely described as
being " some feet in width." The travellers had
now, and not without great risk, reached an ele
vation of 19,513 feet, which, it is added, "is I
believe the greatest height to which men have
ever climbed."
This was not the summit, however; and now
that the evil effect of the rarefaction of the air was
wearing off (as it did always when the party were
at rest — a fact since confirmed by Mr. Whymper's
experience)— all felt lively. A storm began to
rage beneath, and, fearing a snow-storm or the
approach of the clouds, the party began the
descent, which in the face of a terrible hail-storm

333

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

Avas difficult and dangerous. M. de Boussingault's
observations are worth quoting. He says — " I
have seen repeated on Chimborazo all the facts I
have noticed in treating of the volcanoes of the
Equator  The mass of Chimborazo is
formed by an accumulation of trachytic debris,
heaped together without any order. There is
nothing to indicate the existence of lava — nothing
but muddy, elastic fluids, or incandescent blocks
more or less solid, have come out of these craters."

CHAPTER XXXIII.
" A railroad IN THE CLOUDS." *
We cannot leave the Andes without speaking
of the wonderful high-level railway constructed
over and through these mountains, — the work of
an American engineer. This stupendous under
taking starts from Lima, or rather at Callao, and
following the valley of the Rimac on a winding
and ascending gradient, crosses the Andes in a
tunnel at a height of 15,645 feet above the level
of the sea. From this elevation it descends to
Aroya by the valley of the Yauli river. From
Lima the traveller soon reaches the mountains ;
but until after we pass Chosica the difficulties do
not appear very great. The line winds about and
vanishes into distant tunnels in the far-away pre
cipices, as the tiny Festiniog line does, only the
Festiniog line and its mountain surroundings bear
something of the appearance of the Andes railways ¦
looked at through an inverted telescope — the eye
at the larger end.
* The material for this chapter has been partly culled from
" Scribner's Magazine," 1877.

3o8 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Clinging tightly to the side of the mountains as
it crawls upward, the line of railway winds about
and crosses the river again and again. In some
places the railway curves right up to the head of
a valley, in a way familiar to travellers on the
Welsh line to Hereford ; but the scenery is very
different. A fairy-like, almost gossamer, viaduct
spans the gorge, 575 feet in length. It is called
the highest bridge in the world, and is known as
the Verrugas Viaduct — a wonder indeed in this
Land of the Incas. The clouds and storm-winds
toss and rage beneath this thin spider-web struc
ture ; yet all the tests to which it has been sub
jected have failed to move it, or to deflect It from
its foundations.
Away, aAvay through the gathering clouds, and
midst the roar of torrents, up to Matucana, nearly
8,000 feet high ; while still above tower the Cor
dilleras in snow-capped masses tAventy-seven miles
away In a direct line. Snow-flakes now fall
thickly, and the desolation increases Avith the
grandeur as we advance. Noav Ave pass the site
of that enormous land-slip AvhIch dammed up the
great river bed and made such a lake that even
Lima was held in suspense for days by the fear of
the outbreak in the mountains. Hoav ever a rail
road was surveyed and constructed in such regions
as these is a thing few can understand. In some
instances the triangulations were made from the
opposite side of a valley, and the road mapped

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 309
out from such calculations. Labourers and navi
gators were let down from the stupendous cliffs to
dig and face and level the road, while birds of
prey resented the intrusion. Engineers, their
lives in their hands, were swung across the most
tremendous chasms on Avire ropes, and hauled
along by blocks and pulleys, hundreds of feet
in the air, swaying in the wind, seated on a
board as on a child's swing, between earth and
heaven. In fifteen miles the road winds through twenty-
two tunnels driven through rock so hard that
diamond drills had to be employed to cut it.
About this part of the line (near Anchi) a remark
able engineering feat was accomplished. Three
enormous pinnacles of rock were tunnelled. By
putting three tall extinguishers close together we
shall have an idea of the pinnacles, but two were
quite separated, and a bridge was necessary. To
construct this bridge from tunnel to tunnel over a
deep chasm was no light undertaking, and the
bridge, over which the line now safely passes, is
known as " Puente de los Infernillos." Here the
rocks rise from above this awful gorge to a height
of 1 5,000 feet perpendicular.
Anchi is seventy-four miles from Lima, and
notwithstanding that we are (supposed to be) noAv
11,300 feet above the sea, there is another long
ascent of 4,000 feet to be encountered before Ave
can reach the summit of this very remarkable

3IO ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
road. But if more difficult, the features of the route
are much the same, and the Andes Railway takes
its place amongst the grandest, as It certainly is
the highest, of human achievements.
Up, up, still higher and higher, and at last the
great Mount Meiggs Tunnel is reached. This culmi
nating work is so named from Mr. Henry Meiggs
the contractor who has given his name to the peak
seventeen thousand feet high, which rises close to
the tunnel. The history of this marvellous road
has yet to be written. Beside such a Avork as
this, the Alpine tunnels sink into insignificance.
We have no desire to enter into details of con
struction and of the history of the line, the thou
sands of lives lost, and the millions of dollars
expended in the undertaking. But even this
modern work has a parallel in ancient remains, in
energy and in skill. Read the following extract
— " More than twelve thousand feet above the
sea, two bleak islands in Lake Titicaca are
covered with dilapidated temples and palaces and
terraces, where flowers once bloomed on a soil
that had beeti brought, it is said, four hundred
miles ; and a fountain still flows with Avater con
ducted from unknown sources. A thousand feet
below is Cuzco, the once famous city of the sun,
and to this day it reflects the polity of its Incarial
rulers who had palaces and pleasure-grounds in
the valley of the Yucaz, encircled by mountains
still terraced to the summit of vanishing heights.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.

311

and still fortressed on dizzy crags and forbidding
passes." Such engineering feats as these at a time when
Egypt was in the zenith of its power, remind us
that, after all, our grandest achievements can
scarcely compare with the efforts of the old
inhabitants ofthe glorious land ofthe Incas.

CHAPTER XXXIV.
a LAST GLANCE AT THE CORDILLERAS. — TIERRA
DEL FUEGO. — THE AUSTRALIAN ALPS. — CON
CLUSION.
We have used the term Cordilleras once or
twice, and before taking a final leave of the
mountains we may explain that " Cordilleras de
los Andes," means the chain of the Andes. " Cor
dilleras" was the Spanish term, applied only to
the higher and middle ridges of the mountains.
There are four passes across the Andes into
Chili and Peru, and the journey is magnificent.
As we have already crossed the range by rail,
Ave need not dilate upon the beauties and terrors
of this expedition, particularly as there are a fcAv
more interesting facts to be chronicled. For up
in the valley of the Cordilleras is an endless
variety. The chain of the Andes divides into
two parallel ranges, and these form all the great
Western American valleys. In the higher regions,
dominated by such tremendous guardians as Chim
borazo and his Titanic relatives, we have "wind
and storm, snow and vapour," volcanic action and

GLACIERS OF MOUNT COOK.

314 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
most terrific thunder-storms, while as a variety, in
the valley of the Cordilleras, sand and wind
tempests give one a pleasant change. The Andes
are wild, rugged, and defiant ; there is no gende-
ness, no quiet beauty in their rocky fastnesses and
thundering cascades.
Such wonders on such a wondrous scale cannot
be seen elsewhere. Take one instance. On that
sublime Mendoza route, there is one place where
eleven waterfalls dash out from the towering rocks,
like so many hose-pipes ; and, forming a succes
sion of glorious rainbows, pale and die away into
spray that never meets the heated ground beneath.
These valleys are none of your smooth, cultivated
zones of earth, but terraced steppes and mountain
spurs, rising gradually to the long range of snow
capped mountains standing out against the sky.
We must noAv travel southAvard, for time presses,
and we must warm our hands in the Land of Fire
ere we rest. So from Peru through Chili (a good
preparation for the Fiery Land) to Patagonia and
the South. Here at Cape Horn the infant Andes
may be said to begin their journey. This cele
brated cape is but three thousand feet high.
From this point the young hills skip from island
to island, until their youthful strength is recognized
as the Patagonlan Andes, but of these Ave need
not speak at length. Lower down in Tierra del
Fuego, we find some lofty peaked mountains ; the
famous Bell Mountain rising five thousand feet.

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 31S
This inhospitable shore, bearing such names as
Desolation Isle and Starvation Beach, will long
be remembered as the scene of the deaths of the
members of the expedition under Captain Allen
Gardiner, who with his followers perished in their
worthy endeavours to ameliorate the condition of
the Patagonians and Fuegians. The record of
their manly attempt to bring a knowledge of the
Gospel to the nations of that inhospitable land
does not come under the headings of our declared
object ; so Ave must pass such adventures by with
a rapid glance at the graves of our countrymen,
,who met an equally glorious death, at least, as
many who have fallen in the cause of scientific
observation, and much more so than those who, in
search of excitement, have met a terrible fate
on the crags of some lofty mountain. Yes, here,
far away from home, and all that home held dear,
this braAC band encountered death by starvation ;
and yet, as in the case of that brave American on
Mont Blanc, they kept a record of their sufferings
till compelled to drop the pen and die.
What did those sufferers do ? Written upon
the gaunt rocks were words of terrible import — •
" Haste to Spaniard's Harbour. We are starv
ing." In the hope of attracting attention these
words were written on the crags, and buried in
bottles sent out to sea. But no relief came. Re
turning to Spaniard's Harbour, they endeavoured
to eke out by every human contrivance the miser
able supplies they could obtain. They hope that

3i6 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
they will be able to survive for two months. But
no ! Scurvy grasps them. Mid-winter sets in.
Starvation assails them. A fox, a few mice, and
a fish or two : then mussels, limpets, and sea
weeds, are greedily consumed. Then the little
band become separated, and some lingering in
caves, some in the boat upon the beach—one by
one they pass away and die. The succour de
spatched came too late. The painted words upon
the rocks alone directed the attention of H.M.S.
Dido to the spot, where the journals written by
dying hands were found and sent home.
No one can touch upon Tierra del Fuego and
ignore the noble self-devotion displayed by Cap
tain Allen Gardiner and his trusty creAv. Tierra
del Fuego is an inhospitable shore, and the snow
capped summits offer no attraction to the moun
tain explorer ; so we may pass on, for the last
time, for a hurried look at the NeAV Zealand
Mountains, representatives of which avHI be found
on pages close at hand.
Australia proper, and its explorers, its Blue
Mountains, and the wonderful zig-zag railway
ascent, must for the present remain undescribed.
In New Zealand we shall find real mountains,
volcanoes, geysers and glaciers, summits which
may be compared with Swiss peaks, and glaciers
which will compare with Oberland Ice-fields. Our
goose-wing pen bears us lightly down upon the
Maori-land. Captain Abel Tasman, a Hollander,
in 1642 discovered New Zealand and bestowed a

MOUNT EGMONT,

3i8 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
Dutch name upon the territory. Cook passed
between the two islands, Avhich had at first been
supposed to be one, and the passage was accord
ingly called Cook's Strait. Our difficulties, and
our wars with the native New Zealand races are
well known. About 18.40 the French took it into
their heads that New Zealand would be a very
excellent colony for La Belle France. The islands
Avere not officially appropriated by any European
government. But the numbers of emigrants from
Europe were not sufficient. The English got
wind of the matter and Britishers poured in.
Might became right : the English appropriated
New Zealand, and it is ours to this day.
The northern island is called, in the Maori
language, Te-Ika-a-Maotii, or " Maoni's Fish,"
because that gentleman, an Antarctic Hercules,
pulled it or hooked it from the bottom of the sea.
New Ulster is, Ave believe, the official name, and
this Irishism is well maintained in its natural
attributes, for the Northern Island is really the
more southern in its climate, and is said to be
very beneficial to consumptive patients. Warm
springs and geysers, somewhat after the manner
of the Yellowstone district, are found in all direc
tions. From Lake Taupo the traveller has an
excellent view of some smoking summits — of no
great height, however — Tongariro and Ruapehu,
Avhich dominate in snow-capped splendour the
loAver heights called by the natives the giants'
Avives and children. Legends tell us that a third

ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES. 319
giant called Taranaki, who was overcome by the
two former, fled to the western shore, where,
under the modern name of Mount Egmont, he
keeps his solitary guard. We give an illustration
of this extinct volcano, which Is about seven
thousand feet high.
In the Southern Island we have a chain of
mountains which have been termed the Austra
lian Alps, for the elevations of these summits
attain a height varying between that of the
Swiss Alps and the Pyrenees. Mount Cook Is
more than eleven thousand feet high, and ex
plorers may yet discover mountains worth ascend
ing, when the more northern and more distant
peaks have been exhausted. These Alpine
heights extend along the west coast of the
island. Here are not wanting all the attrac
tions of Switzerland, except the cheerful horn
blown for a gratuity, and the cannon warranted
to awake the echoes for fifty centimes. Here
are glaciers and ice-caves and grottos, and proba
bly tourists ; and In time there will be hotels,
and all the accompaniments of advanced civili
zation, personally conducted, and why not } The
glaciers of Waiau and Tasman are very fine.
Now we have arrived at the end of the earth,
and we must soon depart again. This time we
will take our imaginary flight homewards to rest
after our long journeys over so many hills and
so far away. We .have not said anything about
adventures upon English or Welsh mountains;

320 ASCENTS AND ADVENTURES.
for, although many very interesting adventures
could be narrated touching our "tight little
island," the excitement attendant upon and the
romance connected with snow and ice and foreign
mountain regions are necessarily absent. There
fore we abstain from any British mountains,
which our young readers can scale for them
selves, and we trust find health and strength in
the process, as we ourselves have happily done.
We have travelled together over many lands,
and looked upon many peaks since we started,
and now our journeyings have come to an end.
That the writer has been an infallible guide is
not to be expected. He has endeavoured to
the best of his ability to put facts and fearless
adventures before you in a pleasant way : and
the " powder " of instruction, Avhere it has been
administered, has been as carefully as possible
hidden in the jam and sugar of adventure.
So far as the narrator Is concerned, he can
affirm that he has enjoyed his mountaineering
very much. Before these lines are in type, or
at any rate, before they meet the reader's eye,
he hopes to welcome the old places in Switzer
land once again, and from the well-knoAvn but
ever-new Alpine peaks and passes to recall some
of the hardy mountaineering records which he
has for so many pleasant weeks gathered together
for your amusement. So, young friends, we bid
you, kindly and regretfully, — Farewell.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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