1852 IN THE OBERLAND 201 



By and by, as we got higher into the regions where 

 snow had lately fallen, it was needful to be more 

 cautious. We saw three chamois. We then walked 

 in a row, following carefully in each other's footsteps, 

 the foremost man sounding the snow with his pole. 

 About half-past ten or eleven we reached the snow- 

 shed where the glacier descends in the other direction 

 into the valley of Viesch. Then we climbed up on a 

 flat rock whence Monte Rosa, Mont Cervin, and the 

 whole of the magnificent panorama of the Alps burst 

 upon me. The Finsteraarhorn was close at hand, 

 towering above us in black and white majesty. On 

 the other side were all the mountains that bound the 

 valley of the Grimsel, partly hidden by white clouds, 

 through which the peaks rose as islands. The whole 

 looked more glorious than I can describe. About one 

 o'clock we began to descend. On the Grimsel side it 

 was very rough and steep. [At last from a point 600 

 or 800 feet above the hotel] M. Dolfuss blew his horn, 

 and the men gave a yoodle. Met Louisa on the top 

 of a roche moutonnde opposite the inn. Then came 

 M. Dolfuss, looking tall and rough. We sat together 

 at dinner, and were exceedingly merry. M. Dolfuss 

 seemed a great favourite with the landlord and all his 

 people, and his gaunt yet stately appearance at table 

 created quite a sensation.' 



At Turtmann they were delighted to fall in with 

 Von Buch and Merian, who were on their way to 

 Monte Rosa, and would fain have persuaded Ramsay 

 to accompany them. But he had promised to be back 

 at his Survey post by a particular date, and so he 

 reluctantly parted with them, went round by Cha- 

 mouni, had a scramble on the Mer de Glace, and 

 by the 2nd September was once more in London. 



