'^16 Capt, UndrelVs Account of an [May, 



block of snow before mentioned to the Grand Mulet in a strait 

 line is trifling, it took us three hours to attain it from the diffi- 

 culties of the ascent, and the zigzag direction in which we were 

 forced to move. 



The Grand Mulet is a rock, or rather ridge of rocks, running 

 towards the summit of Mont Blanc in a line about SSW and 

 NNE. It lies between the chains of the Dromedaire and the 

 Dome du Goute, bearing S from the first, and SW from the 

 second. The intermediate spaces form two valleys, but of une- 

 qual size, from the closer approximation of the Grand Mulet to 

 the Dromedaire, and its continuation. The ascent from the 

 Prieure is from 70'' to 72°, and from it to the top of the moun- 

 tain about 60°. It has little appearance of vegetation ; a few 

 blades of common grass may be found growing in the angles of 

 the crevices, and the surface is covered in many places with a 

 lichen, of a bright-yellow colour. It would seem that nothing 

 living would choose such a place for a residence, yet my guides 

 assured me they had seen mice upon it, and this is con- 

 firmed by the fact, that, upon our return, one of them killed a 

 weasel, which had no doubt, in some manner, made his way 

 thither, to prey upon those animals. 



The appearance of the snow tov/ards the Dome and Aiguille 

 du Goiite is singular and beautiful. We had passed over a 

 chaotic mass of inequalities, but in that direction there is a strik- 

 ing order and regularity. The chasms run invariably nearly 

 E and W, and the most extended are the lowest in the ranges. 

 The line formed by the upper part of these rents is almost 

 strait ; that by the lower or detached part makes a curve pressing 

 downwards. This form appears the consequence of the situa- 

 tion of the valley ;] for the ascending hne being nearly N and S, 

 the snow will naturally, from the effect of gravity, separate in an 

 opposite direction. When the incumbent mass becomes too 

 heavy to support itself, it breaks transversely, and thus makes 

 those almost regular columns, as I should call them, or paralle- 

 lopipeds, to which Saussure has given the name of Serac. The 

 inclination and configuration of that part of the mountain upon 

 which the snow rests, conduces to the formation of these blocks, 

 and the operating causes being always the same, the effect of 

 course will be so, and this succession of uniform masses must 

 ever continue. The Serac holds its appearance for years, as the 

 snows of several winters may be distinguished upon it, until it 

 yields to the influence of circumstances, is resolved into smaller 

 heaps, or, perhaps, descends in lavanges upon the valley below. 

 The space between the Grand Mulet and the chain of the Dro- 

 medaire is wholly of these enormous parallelepipeds, but without 

 any regularity of line. The ascent there is much more precipi- 

 tous than on the other side, and the waters descending from the 

 rocks, which on every side are almost perpendicular, produce 

 more frequent and less uniform changes, and depnve the snow 



