256 FOREIGN TRA VEL CHAP, vm 



certain period of its history it sought the valley of the 

 Rhone by two channels, that of the Aletsch and that of 

 the Viescher glacier.' 



On reaching Zermatt he found letters telling him 

 that his mother had had a serious attack of bronchitis, 

 but had somewhat rallied. Next day he made the 

 following entry in his note-book : 



'Zermatt) <$th August. Found at the post office a 

 black-edged envelope, which at once told me that my 

 mother was dead. I merely read the first few lines, 

 and then ran up the mountain after Tyndall, towards 

 the Riffel Hotel, but he had gone to the end of the 

 Corner glacier, and I outstripped him. When half- 

 way up, exhausted with my speed, I turned and saw 

 two figures far below by the glacier, whom I guessed 

 to be Tyndall and Lauener. During the half-hour 

 they took to come up to me I had leisure to read my 

 wife's letter, and my grief found a little vent. Tyndall 

 came up, and I marched down to him with my hat 

 drawn over my eyes. We arranged that Lauener 

 should go down and countermand the guide, who 

 next day was to accompany me up Monte Rosa, and 

 Tyndall persuaded me that instead of starting so late, 

 it would be better to remain with him and go next 

 day. So we ascended to the Riffel.' 



He started homeward early next day, and walked 

 the rough thirty miles of valley down to Visp to 

 regain his portmanteau, and catch the diligence for 

 Bex. Finding when there that he could reach 

 London almost as soon by sleeping at Bex as by 

 going on to Geneva, he remained to have a look 

 at the famous blocks of Monthey. He 'wandered 

 among them half a summer's day, pleased and amazed 

 by their beauty and great size, and the evidence of 



