6b Fatal Occident, &c. 



menfe extent of permanent ice, which covers the whole de- 

 clivity of the fummit." 



But I learned, not without furprife mixed with horror, 

 by the event, of which I am going to give an account, 

 that this glacier, fo often vifited hy travellers, and which I 

 twice traverfed myfelf with perfect fecuritv, contains fome 

 of thofe fiflures, covered with fnow, which renders others 

 dangerous when the proper precautions are' not employed. 



During our ftay at Chamouni, C. d'Eyroar having 

 heard that the guide, who accompanied the unfortunate 

 Efchen, refided fomewhere in the valley, fent for him, to 

 learn the particulars of the accident. When he arrived, 

 defpair was ftill painted in his looks and whole countenance ; 

 but we learned nothing from him that we did not before 

 know. He was a guide, fele&ed by chance, whofeemed to be 

 little acquainted with the mountains, and who, however, as 

 he told us, had requefted M. Efchen, when they arrived at 

 the glacier, not to feparate from his two companions. Hur- 

 ried on, however, by that undefcribable fenfation which 

 people fometimes experience when they reach high fummits, 

 and obferving at the top of the glacier, a little diftancc 

 before him, two chamov hunters, who were refting them- 

 felvcs, he hurried forwards to join them ; and it was then 

 that he difappeared. 



We fhall now return to our narrative. As we pafTed 

 Servoz on the morning of the third day, the body of the un- 

 fortunate Efchen was conveyed thither. We viewed it with 

 the livelier!: emotion ; and by minute infpe£lion we were 

 convinced that he had not furvived his fall a flngle moment. 

 We were fully confirmed in this opinion by the details 

 which were given to us, and by obferving that three of the 

 real ribs on each fide were broken, and that there was a 

 great depreffion of the fternum ; fymptoms which indicate 

 that the unfortunate young man had experienced the mod 

 fudden and moft violent compreflion. The body was no 

 ways disfigured, and his features, in perfect harmony, excited 

 no idea of his having fuffeTed pain. We learned by the 

 .pafTport found in his pockets, along with other articles, that 

 his name wa's Frederick Auguftus Efchen j. that be was born 



in 



