186 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



went on between heaven and us just above our heads, 

 and struck with great noise on the Furgg'-Gletscher. 

 The largest boulders, whose advent was announced 

 by deafening detonations which shook our rock, leaped 

 in gigantic parabolas ; the medium-sized stones rolled 

 down nearer to us with a noise resembling that ,of 

 platoon firing and raising clouds of dust. 



Knubel, who was less sheltered, came in for some 

 stones. The surprise had been so sudden that we 

 watched the leaping boulders with a stupid impassi- 

 bility, astonished that we still lived. When men are 

 confronted with the display of such forces thought 

 is the first thing to be broken. 



When the commotion was over Knubel, who had 

 had previous experience of the fire of this battery, 

 said with a singular smile : ' I hope that it will keep 

 quiet now. Let us get out of this quickly ; we are 

 more exposed here than anywhere else.' ' 



Mr. Samuel Turner, one of the most daring of 

 climbers, was once nearly carried away by an avalanche 

 of snow. The following thrilling account of the 

 adventure is from his climbing reminiscences l : " The 

 view of the twin peaks forming the summit of 

 Belukha looked very beautiful glittering in the sun, 

 and filled me with an irresistible desire to clirnb it ; 

 so, although badly in need of a rest, I continued to 

 cut steps in the hard ice. I was soon convinced, how- 

 ever, that it would be impossible for me to reach 

 the summit that day, especially as I had nothing with 

 me to shelter in while I slept on the ridge. The 

 north face of the precipice, near which I was standing, 

 was glazed with ice, which rendered the few cracks 



1 See Bibliography, 34. 



