OF LA PEROUSE. fiX 



is upwards of two meters in an almoft perpendi- 

 cular direction, we could get to the bottom 

 of it, only by defcending by means of a rope. 

 We here found fome water, the furface of 

 which, as we naturally expecled at this eleva- 

 tion, was covered with ice near half a decimeter 

 in thicknefs. It was immediately broken, and 

 we quenched our thirft with very good water. I 

 did not experience from it any unpleafant fenfa- 

 tion in my throat, as I had fo frequently remarked 

 in the French Alps, in fatisfying my drought 

 with water which iffues from the foot of the Gla- 

 ciers, although the coldnefs of the water of this 

 cavern was a degree below that which is com- 

 monly indicated by the water of the Glaciers; for 

 the thermometer that I dipped into it, fell to the 

 freezing point. It fhould feem, then, that it is to 

 the privation of atmofpheric air that is owing the 

 difagreeable irritation which the water taken up 

 at the foot of the Glaciers, occalions in the infide 

 of the throat. 



The infide of this grotto was lined with flakes 

 of nitre. 



Piron had been unwell for feveral days ; he 

 felt himfelf too much fatigued to go farther; 

 Defchamps chofe not to proceed beyond the 

 cavern, while we continued to afcend towards 

 the fummit of the Peak. 



Having come to its bafe, which forms the cap 



of the higheft mountains, we faw it rife in the 



. e 3 form 



