26 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



set on their edges. Before we got half - way, we 

 heard them firing guns at Chamouni, which showed 

 us that we were being watched from the village ; and 

 this gave us fresh energy. At last we reached some- 

 thing like a platform, ten or twelve feet long and 

 three or four broad ; and below this was another 

 tolerably level space, with a low parapet of loose 

 stones built round it, whilst here and there were 

 several nooks and corners which might shelter people 

 on emergency. We acknowledged the salute at Cha- 

 mouni by sticking one of our batons into a crevice, 

 and tying a handkerchief to the top of it, and then 

 set to work to clear away the snow from our resting- 

 place. Contrary to all my expectation, the heat we 

 here experienced was most sultry, and even distressing. 

 Those who have noted how long the granite posts and 

 walls of the Italian cities retain the heat after the 

 sun has gone down, will understand that this rock 

 upon which we were was quite warm wherever the 

 rays fell upon it, although in every nook of shade the 

 snow still remained unthawed. 



As soon as we had arranged our packs and bundles 

 we began to change our clothes, which were tolerably 

 well wet through with trudging and tumbling about 

 among the snow ; and cutting a number of pegs, we 

 strewed our garments about the crannies of the rocks 

 to dry. I put on two shirts, two pairs of lamb's-wool 

 socks, a thick pair of Scotch plaid trousers, a " Tem- 

 plar " worsted headpiece, and a common blouse ; and 



