A DREARY SCENE. 



descriptive powers of the writer, and contains a 

 beautiful incident, evincing his ardent love of 

 flowers. What student of natural history among 

 us that does not feel he owes a debt of gratitude 

 to the author of that charming book, " A Familiar 

 History of Birds" one of the most attractive and 

 entertaining works on ornithology we possess ? I 

 am persuaded that all who have delighted them- 

 selves over its pages will read with interest this 

 narrative of his personal adventures. 



It was in the year 1818 that the Bishop (then 

 Mr Stanley) arrived in the village of Martigny, a 

 few days after that memorable catastrophe when, 

 by the bursting of its icy mounds, the extensive 

 lake of Mauvoisin was in an instant let loose, 

 pouring forth six hundred millions of cubic feet 

 of water over the peaceful and fruitful valley of 

 the Drance, with the irresistible velocity of sixteen 

 miles an hour, and carrying before its overwhelm- 

 ing torrent every vestige of civilised life which 

 stood within its impetuous reach. The whole vil- 

 lage and its environs exhibited a dreary scene of 

 death and desolation ; and the traveller found it 

 impossible to contemplate the effects consequent 

 upon so awful a visitation without a corresponding 

 excitement of strong curiosity to follow the devas- 

 tation to its source, and learn from personal inspec- 

 tion the mode in which Nature had carried on and 



