^T. 28.] JOURNAL. 249 



munication took place mostly by signs and single 

 words, I giving him the German names as far as I 

 could of what I wished. I got a very comfortable 

 lunch of cold roast meat ; but I wanted some straw- 

 berries, and could not think of the German name, and 

 had considerable difficulty. At length he seemed 

 dubiously to comprehend what I wanted ; he went 

 out, and returned in a few moments with a fine dish 

 of the article in question. Excellent cream is as com- 

 mon as need be ; so I had a fine feast. I found that 

 I was the first visitor here this season. I amused my- 

 self with looking over the travelers' book (which you 

 always find) and reading the remarks of former visit- 

 ors. An Englishman the summer before had ascended 

 the highest peak of the Titlis. I afterwards saw that 

 this could readily be done, as my route led me close 

 to the top of the main body of the mountain. 



To get into the valley of the Aar it was necessary 

 to cross the Joch, a mountain connected with the 

 Titlis, and almost as high. The pass between the two 

 mountains is almost 7,000 feet at the summit, is cov- 

 ered with snow, and is in immediate proximity with 

 the glaciers of the Titlis. The ascent is exceedingly 

 difficult ; indeed, from all I can learn, it is much more 

 difficult than any of the passes at all frequented by 

 travelers. I took a guide to the summit and some 

 distance beyond, as a stranger could never have found 

 the way. My guide was an old man of sixty years. 

 From a high ridge near the summit, which belonged 

 rather to the Titlis, I had a magnificent view of the 

 mountains to the north and the valley I had passed 

 through, and on the other side, close to us, of a vast 

 glacier ; the streams emerging from it formed a small 

 river, which we had some difficulty in crossing, and 



