84 THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS 



side. Can anyone be surprised that we called it the 

 Devil's Glacier? At any rate, our companions ac- 

 knowledged the justness of the name with ringing 

 acclamations when we told them of it. 



At Hell's Gate Hanssen and I halted. Tliis was 

 a very remarkable formation; the glacier had here 

 formed a long ridge about 20 feet high; then, in the 

 middle of this ridge, a fissure had opened, making a 

 gateway about 6 feet wide. This formation — like every- 

 thing else on the glacier — was obviously very old, and 

 for the most part filled with snow. From this point the 

 glacier, as far as our view extended to the south, looked 

 better and better; we therefore turned round and fol- 

 lowed our tracks in the comforting conviction that we 

 should manage to get on. 



Our companions were no less pleased with tlie news 

 we brought of our prospects. Our altitude that evening 

 was 8,650 feet above the sea — that is to say, at the 

 foot of the glacier we had reached an altitude of 8,450 

 feet, or a drop from the Butcher's of 2,570 feet. We 

 now knew very well that we should have this ascent to 

 make again, perhaps even more; and this idea did not 

 arouse any particular enthusiasm. In my diary I see 

 that I conclude the day with the following words: 

 " What will the next surprise be, I wonder?" 



It was, in fact, an extraordinary journey that we were 

 undertaking, through new regions, new mountains, 

 glaciers, and so on, without being able to see. That 



