Summit of Mount Blane. 3 
summit, and is mentioned in praise of him who has o banply 
attained the object. It was therefore difficult to choose— 
but we took those who had before made the ae The 
women too were to be consulted, for lowers anxious they 
might be that their sons should procure the honor, they 
were loth to let their husbands canines so many perils. 
n vain did the guides represent to us the dangers and 
parabens of the undertaking—in vain expatiate on the heat, 
the cold, the fatigue, and above all on the many failures. 
We conversed with Balmat and Paceard, the two first who 
ascended, and ering ap haran A agreed. with a master guide, 
appointed the next day for ent. 
At 3 o’clock A. M. on the 1th inst.-mass was said for a 
successful journey and a safe aarts and at 5 we commen- 
seed ome SeR9 —our guides preceded with the i r arti- 
2 our W: ae = = cae “the ite r ed 
<r. region that extends double the. distance. up the 
mountain. Here we found ourselves at the edge of the Gla- 
cier Boxsyps (one of the grandest of the mount,) and for twe 
leagues mounted near to its side. The way was painful 
and difficult, winding on the mountain side, and crossing 
streams that pour constantly from the py a regions. We 
en Veteran hero of the siege mount, 4 first sg foot 
on its frozen summit, had thus far accompanied us: his age 
prevented him from ascending farther, and wishing us a 
safe return, he retraced our mountain path. Thus far we 
had followed a kind of path, but once on the snow, a bleak 
region extended before us,—no footstep marked the white 
surface—no sign of life or animation arose to cheer us. Here 
too commenced the dangers of the way, and we were for- 
ced to follow in regular succession :—first went a guide with 
two oles to search for crevices, that we might avoid 
shberinten followed a man with an axe to cut foot holes 
in ; then came two who changed with the above 
and Giese a relief: next followed a man with the 1 adder— 
at some little distance I followed tied by a rope round the 
waist to two guides, one of whom Bracadad, the other fol- 
lowed me—and lastly came Mr. H. tied in the same manner 
to two other guides. Each of the men carried a knapsack 
