Mode of Lwing on the Glacier, 279 



disagreeable ; for as the large block which served as a roof was 

 fissured throughout notwithstanding its enormous thickness^ 

 the water penetrated by the fissures, and streamed along its 

 lower surface. Whenever one of these little streamlets en- 

 countered an inequality, a cascade was formed which awoke 

 in an annoying manner those who happened to be under it. 

 Sometimes one, and sometimes another, was then seen rising 

 up, and seizing a candle, endeavouring with his finger to give 

 another direction to the troublesome rill. But soon recover- 

 ing its first direction, it would proceed to moisten the person 

 to the right or left, and thus rouse him by dropping provok- 

 ingly into his ear or mouth. The unfortunate individual would 

 then get up in his turn, and try to correct the course of the 

 water, or probably send it to sprinkle his companion near him. 

 I remember one night when the rills of water and the cascades 

 were so abundant, that all change of direction was useless ,* 

 and seeing that it was impossible to shut an eye, we began to 

 amuse ourselves at the expense of our cascades, by communi- 

 cating to them all sorts of directions. In place of sleeping, 

 we pursued hydrographical studies. 



In order to inure ourselves to the cold, several of the party 

 adopted the habit of bathing the body every morning in iced 

 water, in a large tub which the guides placed every evening 

 before the door of the hut, and which in the morning was 

 often covered with ice half an inch in thickness. At first this 

 practice seemed severe, but we soon became accustomed to 

 it, and did not wish to give it up ; for after the first disagree- 

 able sensation was surmounted, we were sure to feel warm, 

 and could wear our ordinary dresses with impunity ; whereas 

 those who dreaded these icy baths, and did not make use of 

 them, shivered around us enveloped in their cloaks. 



Our chief guide, Jacob Leuthold, who was also at the same 

 time our chief cook, arrived between four and five o'clock to 

 prepare breakfast, which generally consisted of a cup of choco- 

 late. "When we had finished, the pot was replaced on the fire 

 for the breakfast of our guides, which was cheese-soup. Our 

 first occupation was to visit the thermometrographs and the 

 thermome'ters ; and when the sheath of one or other of these 



