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



red, and adding a very little more of raven-black. As viewed 

 without the snow, " China blue," with the addition of a very 

 little more of Prussian blue, might perhaps represent the colour. 

 It did not insensibly pass into the pale whitish-blue of the ho- 

 rizon, but, what deserves remark, terniinaied hy a well marked 

 border at some ten degrees above it. 



We had all left the summit by half-past three ; several of the 

 guides having descended sooner, a few hundred feet, to a more 

 sheltered situation. One of them had headach, probably from 

 some brandy he had taken. The rest individually assured me 

 that they were perfectly well, and they all said that their breath- 

 ing had never been affected while at rest on the summit. Ob- 

 servations on the pulse of several had been made in the valley, 

 with the intention to repeat them on the top of the mountain ; 

 but in prosecuting the other objects, it was forgotten. I 

 may remark, that I did not find it needful to take any stronger 

 drink, during the journey, than wine, a little better than the 

 " vin ordinaire,"" or table beverage of the country. Lemonade 

 was found very refreshing. No inclination was felt to eat while 

 on the summit. I have already mentioned that unquenchable 

 thirst was experienced. 



The descent, in parts impeded by its steepness, and on this 

 account attended with not a little danger at the " epaule droite," 

 was, upon the whole, very rapid, — the guides sometimes slid- 

 ing down fields of snow, supported by their batons ; and, as 

 the steel points with which my shoes were armed prevented my 

 following their example, I was sometimes drawn after them with 

 cords in a sitting posture. In passing over a dangerous part 

 we had crossed in the morning, I stept with one foot into a 

 hole concealed by snow, and communicating with a cavity of 

 unknown depth. This shews the necessity of two or three per- 

 sons being constantly attached together with cords. 



We returned to the Grand Mulet by a quarter past six, i. e. 

 in little more than one-foi.rth of the time it had taken to ascend 

 from this rock to the summit. It was afterwards found that a 

 spectator, a near relative of mine, descending from the Breven, 

 had, with the assistance of a glass, counted us — seven in num- 

 ber — into these our quarters for the night. The scene at sun- 

 set, both on this and the preceding evening, was splendid, the 



