OF THE OLD WORLD. 423 



the deepest grave, for we were still far above any 

 indications of animal life. After a long weary 

 tramp we regained the ridge of rocks overlooking 

 the glacier, by which time the sun was nearly down, 

 and we had to wait some time before the moon got 

 sufficiently high to light us on our way. Once we 

 missed the track, and found ourselves clambering up 

 the smooth face of a rock, where a false step or a 

 slip would have precipitated us into a dark yawning 

 chasm below, so deep that we could not hear huge 

 rocks, which we saw rolling down the slope, when 

 they struck the bottom. Luckily it was o;loriously 

 clear night, and the moon shone with a brilliancy 

 rarely seen, except in the tropics. Now and then 

 a meteor darted across the firmament, leaving a long 

 train of light after it, and then vanished from our 

 sight. 



At last we reached the first vegetation, and to- 

 wards midnight entered a belt of pine-forest, where 

 we felt so utterly done-up with fatigue that we were 

 obliged to halt. After some trouble we made a huge 

 fire, and, having divided what brandy we had left 

 amongst us, rolled ourselves up iji our blankets, too 

 tired even to eat or prepare coffee. Towards morn- 

 ing, having somewhat recovered, I felt ravenous, 

 and, although so stiff that I could hardly crawl, 

 managed to awake Hoossain, who got some water 

 and made coffee, which, with biscuits and the re- 

 mains of our provisions, once more set us on our 

 legs. 



