Dr Barry's Ascent to the Summit of Mont Blanc. Ill 



us to return but for a bridge of snow, or rather of ice, discover- 

 ed at some distance. We made for it, — it bore us over, and 

 our hopes briglitened. But we had now to pass some very 

 treacherous ice, among holes covered up with recent snow, con- 

 ceaUng the dangers of the track. On reaching the Grand Pla- 

 teau, however, we felt pretty confident of success, as the diffi- 

 culties that then lay before us were not expected to be insur- 

 mountable, in the existing state of the weather : and we there- 

 fore sat down to breakfast at this spot in very good spirits. 



There are three plains of snow, called the first, second, and 

 third Plateau. The third is the highest or Grand Plateau. It 

 was on the second or middle one that De Saussure, with eighteen 

 guides, passed the second night in his ascent in 1787. Speak- 

 ing of it, he says it is 90 toises (= 575 English feet) higher 

 than the Peak of TenerifFe. 



We left the Grand Plateau before 10 oHock. Above it are 

 the Rochers Rouges, where the fatal avalanche occurred in Dr 

 Hamel's attempt of 18^0. De Saussure's course lay to the west 

 of these rocks: we went eastward of them, by the new route 

 discovered in 1827, when my countrymen C. Fellowes and W. 

 Hawes ascended, and by which a very dangerous part is avoid- 

 ed. 



Great dryness of the skin was now observed, thirst became 

 intense, and it seemed scarcely possible even to alleviate it. Not 

 being disposed to give up the prospect around me, a veil that 

 had been taken was not used ; and this omission perhaps was 

 the cause of some decutication of the face, and not a little sore- 

 ness around the lips and nostrils, which occurred a ^e\v days 

 after. Possibly this excessive desiccation of the face might be 

 prevented, by using some unctuous matter dui-ing the journey. 

 The inconvenient glare of the snow is obviated by the use of 

 green spectacles, which indeed were found almost indispensable. 



A dipterous insect was found dead on the snow, at about 

 1500 feet below the summit, and a living hymenopterous one 

 300 feet higher ; both having probably been carried up by the 

 wind. Professor lironn of Heidelberg, has been so obliging as 

 to examine these for me, and reports, that the first, which had 

 lost some important parts, corresponds most nearly with the de- 

 scription of Syrphus arcuatus of Fallen and Meigcn ; antl that 



