332 Ascent of the Jungfrau in 1841. | 
he met us. After having exchanged with him some of those 
shrill and piercing sounds, which the mountaineers can make 
to penetrate to the distance of leagues, we perceived that he 
was on the left side, so that before we could join him, we had 
to cross a considerable part of the glacier, which in this place 
is nearly a league broad. The brave fellow was loaded like 
a mule, for besides the provisions we had required of him, he 
brought an entire botl/e* full of excellent new milk still warm. 
This was unquestionably the most delightful refreshment that 
he could have offered to us, and almost every one left the wine 
for the milk. We seated ourselves in a circle around our 
amphitryon, taking draughts in our turn from his immense 
vase, till it was nearly empty. This was the most picturesque 
repast, and, at the same time, one of the most grateful I have 
enjoyed in my life. 
After supping heartily we again set out to complete our last 
stage. Nearly three leagues yet remained ; but, with the ex- 
ception of the fissures which we had to stride over, the road 
was easy, and we arrived almost before we were aware at the 
banks of lake Mceril. Here we made our last halt, in order 
to admire an unique spectacle. The blocks of floating ice 
which swam on the surface of the water had a most attractive 
effect, when seen by the beautiful light of the moon. At the 
same time the section of. the glacier, in the background, ap- 
peared to us like an immense wall of crystal ; and what far- 
ther added to the beauty of this spectacle was, that we arrived 
just at the moment when the moon was passing behind the ° 
mountain mass which overlooks the lake, and we saw in a quar- 
ter of an hour the most varied effects of light, and the most 
striking and interesting contrasts. It was a finale worthy of 
such a day. But as the moon and its effects are a little out of 
fashion, as well as the loves of the shepherds which it formerly 
inspired, I shall not enlarge farther on the subject. If, how- 
* A provincial word to denote one of the large wooden vessels in which 
the shepherds carry milk. The Genevese Glossary says: “ Bolles, vessels 
of wood to carry milk on an ass; un paire de bolles, a term known in our 
Alpine romances. Romansch bouille, a kind of scuttle for the vintage. Celtic 
root boil, the belly.” 
