ASCENT OF MONT BLANC. 83 



unusual extent. The leading guide was proceeding cau- 

 tiously over this bridge. He had reached the middle of 

 it, when, to the consternation of his companions, he 

 dropped suddenly out of their sight. The bridge had 

 yielded, and he had disappeared in the icy abyss. They 

 tied together the ropes which they carried with them, 



GRAND CREVASSE AT THE FARTHER BORDER OF THE GRAND 

 PLATEAU. ASCENT OF MONT BLANC. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY 

 J. LEVY ET CIE., PARIS. 



and let the line down into the crevasse, but no hand 

 seized it. No voice, no moan arose from the darkness 

 which concealed the bottom. The next day a rescuing 

 party, brought from Chamonix, lowered one of their num- 

 ber 160 feet into the crevasse, but without the discovery 



