250 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



some very clean straw spread on the^ clay floor, with my 

 knapsack for a pillow, placed against the solid rock which 

 formed the fourth wall of the house. There was, of course, 

 no glass in the windows, but the shepherd had con- 

 siderately stuffed them up, so that by keeping up a good 

 fire the night passed very tolerably. 



' Next morning my chasseur-douanier, by name Rey, 

 called me at three, and at half-past we were already on 

 our way to the Col de la Traversette. The ascent was 

 over steep grass slopes as far as the chalets of Monte 

 Viso miserable places, in every way worse than those 

 of La Tronchet and from the summit the view was 

 superb, stretching away to the hills above Genoa, and, of 

 course, only to be seen in the early morning. Unfortu- 

 nately the Alps in the direction of Savoie cannot be seen 

 from the Col, and I neglected to ascend a point on the 

 left, which commands them. . . . The precipitous way 

 in which the Col appears to overhang the plain is extra- 

 ordinary, so much so that, feeling no desire for a closer 

 acquaintance with Grissola and Psesana, considering also 

 the value of so good a guide, I proposed to him on the 

 spot to attempt the circuit of Monte Viso, returning to 

 sleep at the chalets. To this he assented, and having 

 observed the barometer and dismissed my porter, whom 

 I had brought from Meyronnes, to await us at the chalet, 

 we at once started. . . . We sought the entrance of the 

 ancient gallery l on the Piedmontese side, but were 

 unable to discover it, as it was still covered with snow. 

 There is no question, however, that it is still accessible 

 from that side, and even nearly complete. My guide 

 had entered and examined it, and had observed an iron 

 hook for suspending a lamp ; the Cure* of St. Veran also 



1 This remarkable gallery, which pierces the Col de la Traversette 

 at about 300 feet below the crest of the ridge, and at a height of at 

 least 9,500 feet above the sea, was cut through the mountain by 

 Ludovico II., Marquis of Saluzzo, in order to facilitate the intercourse 

 between his territory and the adjoining valleys of Dauphine. Many 

 years after Forbes's visit it was cleared out, and again used ; but in 

 some cold seasons it remains choked with snow, until the summer is 

 fur advanced. 



