32 THE LIFE OF JAMES 1). FORBES. [CHAP. 



was Simond, who is called " Des D'ames ;" and he has once 

 gone to the top of Mont Blanc. The third was Jean 

 Marie Coutet, son of the famous Coutet, lately dead. We 

 had a delightful ride up to the Montanvert. ... In one 

 instant we were presented with the singular view of the 

 Mer de Glace. Its surface has much the appearance of 

 tempestuous waves frozen ; but the wonders of its form 

 have been too much spoken of. ... We walked some 

 distance on the Mer de Glace, which appeared much 

 rougher on a near approach. ... In the course of our 

 walk I conversed with the memorable guide " Le Gdant." 

 I considered his information as peculiarly valuable, for 

 when he and one or two others are dead (and he is nearly 

 70), all living record of some of the most daring and in- 

 teresting adventures that have ever been made will be 

 gone. He was of the second party that ever reached the 

 summit of the highest European Alp, and accompanied 

 Saussure in thirty or forty other excursions. He took four 

 days to the expedition of Mont Blanc, while most others 

 take three. He said he did not suffer much from the 

 rarefaction of the air, but that Saussure felt it consider- 

 ably, especially in using his instruments. He said that 

 on the Col de Geant they really saw red snow, in patches 

 about two miles in length but very narrow ; but the philo- 

 sopher could not find the cause of the phenomenon. In 

 that expedition he described the scenery to have been the 

 very horror of nature, a wild fortnight abode for human 

 beings. Saussure (he said) when he visited Monte Rosa 

 believed the highest summit to be quite practicable, but 

 did not care to perform it, as he had a view of the peaks 

 from one of the lower ones ; and as he had already 

 succeeded in attaining the highest point of Europe, and 

 proved it to be so, he did not care to accomplish one less 

 lofty. I requested " Le Gdant " to say what he thought 

 of the practicability of the ascent of Mont Blanc, and 

 whether a man of ordinary strength might achieve it. He 

 said, " Men vary so much, it is not easy to say ;" but he 

 added, " Avec du beau temps, des bonnes jambes, un bon 

 t&te pour passer les fentes, et surtout avec le bon plaisir 



