ASCENT OF MONT BLANC. 15 



runs through the fields towards the dirty little village 

 of Les Pelerins for I wished to keep myself as fresh 

 as I could for the real work. I do not think I gained 

 anything by this, for the brute was exceedingly 

 troublesome to manage up the rude steep path and 

 amongst the trees. I expect my active young com- 

 panions had the best of it on their own good legs. 

 Dressed, at present, in light boating attire, they were 

 types of fellows in first-rate fibrous muscular condition ; 

 and their sunny good-temper, never once clouded dur- 

 ing the journey, made everything bright and cheering. 

 The first two hours of the ascent presented no 

 remarkable features, either of difficulty or prospect 

 The path was very steep and rugged, through a 

 stunted copse of pines and shrubs, between which we 

 saw on our right the glistening ice -towers of the 

 lower part of the Glacier des Bossons. On our left 

 was the ravine, along which the torrent courses to 

 form the Cascade des Pelerins. The two nice girls 

 who keep the little refreshment chalet at the water- 

 fall came across the wood to wish us God -speed. 

 Julie Favret, the prettier of the two, was said to be 

 engaged to our guide Jean Carrier a splendid young 

 fellow so they lingered behind our caravan some 

 little tune ; and when Jean rejoined us, an unmerci- 

 ful shower of badinage awaited him. We kept on in 

 single file, winding backwards and forwards amongst 

 the trees, until we came to the last habitation up the 

 mountain, which is called the Chalet de la Para ; and 



