caer Fae. FP. 
158 
Since the earlier parts of this volume went to press, the 
Editor has been favoured with notes of lectures delivered by 
Mr. Pilkington, in February, and by Mr. Joseland, in March, 
1902, and he has much pleasure in finding a place for them 
here, although not in proper order of date. 

AN ASCENT OF MONT BLANC FROM ITALY. 
(Wirn Lantern Views.) 
By Mr. C. PILKINGTON (E<x-President of the Alpine Club). 
4th February, 1902. 
After a short account of the Mont Blane group, and of the 
work done by the various early explorers in that region, the 
Lecturer, with the help of lantern views, took his audience to 
the village of Courmayeur, from which, in 1896, five mountaineers 
were preparing to cross the mountains to Chamonix. The 
weather throughout the season had been exceptionally bad. 
Quantities of snow, quite low down, kept soft by the south-west 
wind, made climbing laborious and also somewhat. dangerous. 
On the night before the day fixed for the start, heavy rain fell, 
and the weather was so unpromising that the party did not leave 
the hotel. On the following day, however, at 10 a.m., they 
set out for the Dome hut, which is situated on a rocky rib 
running down from the Aiguilles Grises and above the Déme 
glacier. The way to it was toilsome, and involved a long tramp 
over the stone-covered Miage glacier, followed by a climb up snow 
slopes and never ending rocks. 
Here the night was spent. Shortly after midnight the party 
got up. Gusts of wind wandered round, and there was a grey 
darkness over all. A few stars showed through the mist above, 
clouds nearly covered the glacier below, and every now and then 
some detached mass of grey vapour swept slowly upwards, and 
wound into the recesses of the mountains. 
