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CHAMOUNI. 



Chamouni. CHAMOUNI. This celebrated vale lies north 

 S " B> V*' from Mount Blanc, and south east from the lake of 

 Geneva. The river Arve, which rises in the Col de 

 Balme, flows through the centre of the valley. Near 

 the middle of its course it receives the Arveiron on 

 the left, an impetuous torrent, chiefly noted for its 

 magnificent origin in the glacier of Bois. ( See the art. 

 ALPS, vol i.) The vale of Chamouni forms but the 

 first and smallest portion of the channel of the Arve. 

 Upon quitting the valley through which it had 

 winded in a south westerly direction, it takes a bend 

 to the north, and afterwards proceeds to the north 

 west, and enters the Rhone below Geneva. Cha- 

 mouni can be approached with ease and safety only 

 from the north ; and the stations from which travel- 

 lers usually commence the journey are Geneva, and 

 Martigni, a town situated in the west of the Vallais. 

 The route from the latter place passes over the Tete 

 Noire, or the Col de Balme, (see art. ALPS,) and 

 introduces the traveller at the head of the valley. 

 The road from Geneva winds along the banks of the 

 Arve, and enters the valley at its southern extremity. 

 This route, though not destitute of Alpine scenery, 

 is less wild and picturesque than the other ; but it is 

 upon the whole a more agreeable approach, and bet- 

 ter accommodated to the generality of travellers. 

 From Geneva to the Priory, the distance is reckon- 

 ed about 40 English miles, and can easily be travelled 

 in one day. The roads from Geneva to Sallenche, 

 which is considerably more than half of the journey, 

 are well made, and accommodated to every kind of 

 vehicle ; but upon leaving the latter place, the coun- 

 try assumes a more alpine appearance, and the roads 

 acquire a similar character, and can be passed only on 

 horse-back, or in a char a bane. But on whatever 

 side he approaches the valley, the view of it, when 

 seen for the first time from some of the heights over 

 which the road passes, throws the traveller into a 

 kind of astonishment which cannot be expressed. 

 He seems introduced into a new world. The majes- 

 tic summits of the pointed rocks, covered with ice and 

 eternal snow ; the mountains which appear to sup- 

 port the sky, and whose height alarms the senses, and 

 can with difficulty be grasped by the imagination ; 

 the striking contrast of the red colour of the primi- 

 tive rocks with the dazzling white of the snow which 

 covers them ; the glaciers which descend from their 

 lofty summits to the very edge of the valley; the beau- 

 tiful variety of colours exhibited by the towers, py- 

 ramids, and obelisks which rise from the surface of 

 the glaciers, when illuminated by the sun ; the som- 

 bre colour of the forests of fir ; the pure verdure of 

 the pasturages and meadows ; the cottages, churches, 

 and hamlets scattered through the valley ; the wo- 

 men and children occupied in country labour, in their 

 - garden, or before their houses, with their eye upon the 

 flocks feeding around them : the whole forms a pic- 

 ture whose beauty it is easier to feel than to describe. 

 What is properly called the vale of Chamouni, ex- 

 tends from the source of the Arve to about two miles 

 beyond Jhe village of Ouches, and is near 18 miles in 

 length. Its breadth no where exceeds a mile and a 

 half, and in some places it is considerably less. The 

 greatest portion of the valley stretches from north 

 east to south west. About a mile, however, south 

 from the Priory, the direction is changed to west, 

 and afterwards to north west, by which means the 



traveller is prevented from seeing the whole at one Chamouni. 

 view. Mount Breven, and a long range of mountains > *"Y" B '' 

 called La chaine des Aiguilles, form its western 

 boundary ; while on the east side rises Montanvert to 

 the height of 2752 feet above the bottom of the val- 

 ley, beautifully wooded to the top ; and beyond 

 which are seen several immense masses of perpendicu- 

 lar rocks, with pointed summits. From each extre- 

 mity of Montanvert range other mountains of less 

 note, which complete the eastern boundary, and be- 

 tween which descend those immense glaciers which 

 form one of the most striking features of this interest- 

 ing scene. All the glaciers enter the valley on the 

 eastern side, and in the following order, viz. Tacon- 

 na at the southern extremity, opposite the village of 

 Ouches ; Bossons Montanvert between the mountain 

 and a range of pointed rocks ; Bois, near the source 

 of the Arveiron ; Argentiere and Tour, near the 

 source of the Arve. 



When we consider the great elevation of the valley 

 above the level of the sea, (3354- feet,) and the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of those immense masses of 

 ice and snow, it is somewhat surprising, that its mean 

 temperature should seldom be more than 10 or 11* 

 below that of Geneva. Bourrit gives the following 

 state of the thermometer as the average temperature 

 of the summer : at nine in the morning, 52 degrees 

 Fahrenheit ; at mid-day, 66 ; and in the evening, 57. 

 This uncommon mildness of the climate may be in 

 some measure owing to the general tendency of val- 

 lies to concentrate the rays of the sun ; but more, 

 perhaps to the particular direction of the valley, by 

 which it is exposed for near tea hours in summer to 

 the direct action of the sun's rays. The climate, 

 however, even in summer, is very variable. Saussure 

 states, that on the 25th of July, at noon, in the shade, 

 the thermometer rose to 77 degrees ; while on the 

 22d of the same month, it was only 66 ; and in the 

 morning of the 23d there was a strong hoar frost. 

 The fine season usually commences in June, and ends 

 in September ; though October, and even November, 

 are sometimes agreeable months. Winter, in general, 

 begins in November, and ends in May. During that 

 time, the valley is completely covered with snow to 

 a considerable depth ; the nights are clear ; and the 

 thermometer often falls to 22 degrees below the freez- 

 ing point. While this dreary season continues, the 

 inhabitants seldom go abroad, the women occupy 

 themselves in spinning, and the men in attending to 

 the cattle. 



The following remarks of Saussure will enable the 

 reader to form some idea of the length and severity 

 of the winter. " I arrived at Chamouni," says he, 

 " on the 24th of March, and found the whole valley 

 covered with snow. At the Priory it was a foot 

 and a half deep, at Argentiere four feet, and at Tour 

 twelve feet. The heat of the sun softened the snow 

 in the day-time ; but it froze again during the night 

 to such a degree, that loaded mules passed over it 

 without leaving any impression of their feet." The 

 appearance of the valley at this season is grand, but by 

 no means interesting. The immense space between the 

 summits of the mountains and the bottom of the valley, 

 presents one uniform white surface, unbroken except 

 by some rocks, whose steep sides cannot retain the 

 snow. The forests have a greyish hue, and the Arve, 

 which winds through the centre of the valley, appears 



