Life and Writings of Theodore de Saussure. 7 



meteorological observations during the whole course of the day, 

 and particularly in the morning, at noon, and during the night, 

 led him to form the idea of establishing himself, with his instru- 

 ments, at an elevation of about 1800 toises above the level of 

 the sea, for a sufficient length of time to come to conclusive 

 results. With this object, he took up his residence, in June 

 1788, at Chamouny, along with his son Theodore, whom he 

 had resolved to take along with him in this expedition. He 

 continued there until a hut was erected on the route which 

 had been discovered from Chamouny to Cormayeur by the 

 Tacul. This hut was placed on a Col, which Saussure named 

 the Col du Geant, from its position at the foot of that moun- 

 tain. The two naturalists left Chamouny on the 2d July 1788, 

 slept by the way at the Tacul, under tents, and, on the following 

 day, crossed the Noire, a peak whose snow-covered sides were 

 so steep and full of fissures, that one of their guides, Alexis 

 Balmat, fell into a rent thirty feet deep ; but, after having 

 been drawn out of this gulf by one of his friends, who was 

 let down by means of ropes, the man resumed his charge, and 

 proceeded without saying a word. On their first arrival their pro- 

 spects were by no means favourable. An enclosure of six square 

 feet, built of stones so ill joined that the snow had half filled 

 it, so that it was impossible to enter, placed on a narrow ridge, 

 1763 toises, or 3436 metres, in height, between two glaciers, 

 Mont Freti and the Estreves, with unequal sides and rugged 

 slopes like precipices, presented no very attractive situation 

 for a sojourn of some continuance. Tents were erected, the 

 snow removed, and, on the following day, the instruments 

 were arranged for making observations. On that same day a 

 terrible storm arose ; the wind, with a sound resembling the 

 discharge of artillery, carried off the travellers' matresses and 

 coverings, and seemed as if it would blow down their hut and 

 bury them in its ruins. By degrees the wind completely 

 ceased ; a dead calm succeeded this outburst, and the natural 

 philosophers heard the storm raging far beneath them in the 

 Allee Blanche. Speedily snow, hail, and thunder succeeded ; 

 the heavens were on fire, and Horace Benedict de Saussure 

 saw an electric spark glancing along the moist roof of the tent 

 behind the very place where his son was sleeping. They re- 

 mained, notwithstanding, on the Col du Geant for seventeen 



