CLIMBING ADVENTURES 185 



began to freeze us. A rough gale assailed us as we 

 clung with our hands to the scanty projections of our 

 wall. My hat was carried away, and, after whirling 

 round for an instant, flew madly in the direction of 

 the Breithorn. It was not reassuring to anticipate such 

 a wind during the ascent of the last aretes. 



Having scaled this wall, we went to the left over 

 the eastern slope, where we speedily found shelter. 

 Still, we could not mount ; we were obliged to go 

 along the base of the Cervin till we reached the point 

 where the rocks, being less rugged, afford a practicable 

 route. The Furgg-Gletscher, whose white and un- 

 broken plane was stretched out at our feet, rises at 

 this spot in a steep slope, and forms a promontory 

 that mounts in the rocks for the best part of a height 

 of 200 m. (656 feet). It is generally covered with 

 snow, and the traverse which the climber must take 

 in following its extreme edges offers no difficulty. On 

 this occasion there was ice everywhere ; nearly every 

 step had to be cut out. Holding on to the projec- 

 tions of rock with our right hands, we walked on 

 a kind of arete of ice. Immediately on our left was 

 the long glacier slope, cleft with numerous crevasses. 



We had gone about half-way when suddenly the 

 sound of a dull grumbling reached us from above a 

 sound which every second advanced nearer and in- 

 creased in volume. We recognized at once the for- 

 midable artillery of the Cervin stones ! Knubel threw 

 himself* towards me, and we had only time to flatten 

 ourselves against the rock. Some boulders bounded 

 three feet above us, then came quite an avalanche. By 

 good luck our rock overhung. For about the space 

 of half a minute the whole of this furious discharge 



