22 INTRODUCTION. 



in three places ; Petrus' body was also fractured in many 

 places. The exact manner of their death will never be known, 

 but there can be no doubt that, in Balfour's case at all 

 events, it was instantaneous, and those competent to form a 

 judgment are of opinion that they were killed by a sudden fall 

 through a comparatively small height, slipping on the rocks as 

 they were descending by the side of the ice-fall, and not precipi- 

 tated from the top of the couloir. There is moreover indirect 

 evidence which renders it probable that in the fatal fall Petrus 

 slipped first and carried Balfour with him. Whether they had 

 reached the summit of the Aiguille and were returning home 

 after a successful ascent or whether they were making their way 

 back disheartened and wearied with failure, is not and perhaps 

 never will be known. Since the provisions at the sleeping-place 

 were untouched, the deaths probably took place on Wednesday 

 the i Qth. The bringing down the bodies proved to be a task of 

 extreme difficulty, and it was not till Wednesday the 26th that 

 the remains reached Courmayeur, where M. Bertolini, the master 

 of the hotel, and indeed everyone, not least the officers of a 

 small body of Italian troops stationed there, shewed the greatest 

 kindness and sympathy to Balfour's brothers, Gerald and Eus- 

 tace, who hastened to the spot as soon as the news of the terrible 

 disaster was telegraphed home. Mr Walter Leaf also and Mr 

 Conway, friends of Balfour, the former a very old one, who had 

 made their way to Courmayeur from other parts of Switzerland 

 as soon as they heard of the accident, rendered great assistance. 

 The body was embalmed, brought to England, and buried at 

 Whittinghame on Saturday, Aug. 5, the Fellows of Trinity 

 College holding a service in the College Chapel at the same 

 time. 



In person he was tall, being fully six feet in height, well 

 built though somewhat spare. A broad forehead overhanging 

 deeply set dark brown eyes whose light shining from beneath 

 strongly marked eye-brows told all the changes of his moods, 

 slightly prominent cheek-bones, a pale skin, at times in- 

 clined to be even sallow, dark brown hair, allowed to grow on 

 the face only as a small moustache, and slight whiskers, made 

 up a countenance which bespoke at once strength of character 

 and delicacy of constitution. It was an open countenance, hiding 



