a Travelled m the, Glade? of Suit* 55 



fcfult. It was at leaft a journey of nine hours from Servos 

 to the glacier in queftion ; and as this glacier did not form 

 any 'part of thofe we intended to vifit, it was impoffible for 

 us to be informed of the iiTiie of the propofed fearch till we 

 pafTed Servoz on our return from Chamouni, to which w; 

 continued our route not without dejection. 



It is with regret that I am obliged to omit the details of 

 the flay we made in this interefting vallev ; thev have a cha- 

 racter which will always be imprinted in my remembrance, 

 but they would be foreign to the prefent object. However, 

 while the brave Devil le and his companions are engaged 

 with their enterprife, I (hall venture to fufpend the impa-* 

 tience of my readers for a few moments in order to make 

 them acquainted with the glacier of Buet, and the motives 

 which might induce travellers to vifit it. 



It is to Mefirs. De Luc, the two brothers, that philofo-* 

 phers and naturalifts are indebted for discovering the pofll- 

 bility of reaching this fummit covered with eternal fnow. It 

 is an iululated mountain fituated in front of the central chaia 

 to which Mont Blanc, and its glaciers belong, and feparated 

 from them by a lower chain that runs in a parallel direction. 

 This glacier may be feen from Geneva immediately on the 

 left of the Mole. It appears under the form of a ridge not 

 very falient, and which feems to be eafy of accefs. Mefirs. 

 De Luc were, however, deceived in this refpect, and the 

 account of three attempts they made to reach it, the laft of' 

 which alone, on the 2dh of September 1777, was attended 

 with fuccefs, is one of the molt interefting epifodes to be 

 found in the works of any natural ift. It was a defire to dif- 

 covcr the law which the decreafe of heat in boiling water 

 follows in proportion as it is railed in the alrflofphere, that 

 induced them to vifit this mountain, and to brave, three dif- 

 ferent times, difficulties and dangers of various kinds to 

 which they were expofed in attempting to reach a fummit 

 that may be coandered as the utmoft podible boundary of 

 philofophical obfervatiou. Honour to that fcience which 

 infpires courage fo pcrfevering, and which produces it in 

 fucceeding generation-; ! Our daring countrymen never fuf- 

 pected thai after this expedition, Sauflure 



would 



