192 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



found the top of the skull of a magnificent old male 

 bouquetin in the torrent bed below the " old bou- 

 quetin's " cornice. We also saw the solitaire on the 

 top of the " lookout," where Arthur and Celestin 

 had seen him the other day. A fine evening, with 

 occasional showers, but mists over that evil omen, 

 Turbon. 



Thursday, yth April 1881. Nor did Turbon lie, 

 raining hard this morning off and on. Determined, 

 notwithstanding, to beat the lower cornice of Aronebo 

 for the solitaire. Antoine and Celestin came with us, 

 leaving the other men at Cotatoire. We turned up 

 after passing the Cueva and had a sharp climb up a 

 cheminee in the lower precipices. From the top of this 

 we spied two nice solitaires on the edge of the precipices 

 between the lower and upper cornices. They were 

 keeping a sharp lookout down hill, but had not seen us. 

 Keeping out of sight, we dispersed to our respective 

 posts, I taking that close to the upper precipices. The 

 best place was at the edge of a small couloir, and, as no 

 avalanches had fallen during the day, I thought I might 

 venture to post myself on its edge, having secured an 

 overhanging ledge to protect my head. On my way up 

 I knocked my right thumb against a sharp rock and 

 split the nail across the middle. I had been about an 

 hour at my post when a tremendous avalanche fell down 

 the couloir, almost over my head. The roar was dread- 

 ful, and the rush of air, icy cold, which it caused, almost 

 blew me away, though I had thrown myself on my face 

 and held tight on to the rocks. I was spattered all over 

 with snow and beat a hasty retreat as soon as I thought 

 it was safe to do so. Tracks quite fresh of izards 

 passing close to my post and all going eastward looked 

 bad, and sure enough the men arrived, having seen the 

 tracks of a bear on the " lookout " and along the cornice, 



