172 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



places we found the ice extremely slippery, and, 

 whilst descending some of the steeper slopes, it was 

 a difficult matter to retain our footing, even with 

 the aid of our iron-shod alpenstocks. When we 

 commenced our journey, the highest ridges and 

 summits of the mountains on each side, as well as 

 the head of the glacier, were covered with an im- 

 penetrable veil of dense white mist, heaving and 

 surging about like a tempest-tost sea, which pre- 

 vented our distinguishing their outline, or indeed 

 anything, except the lower part of those spurs 

 nearest to us, that appeared to rise like a wall from 

 the glacier, until they gradually became blended in 

 vapour. After a time, however, the mist in one 

 quarter appeared to be tinged with a reddish hue, 

 and by degrees became illuminated with the rays of 

 the rising sun, whose powerful influence over the 

 whole face of Nature gradually made itself appa- 

 rent, although the luminary itself was still hidden 

 from our sight by intervening ranges. The mists 

 rose and were dispelled : the clouds, lighting up 

 one by one, exhibited glorious tints of every hue, 

 and then began to separate, disclosing here and 



