36 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



we heard our Irish follower "keeping it up" by 

 himself in most convivial fashion, and singing " God 

 save the Queen " to his guide. Soon afterwards we 

 saw his lantern glimmering on our traces; and the 

 light of the second aspirant was also visible, moving 

 about before his start. 



The snowy side of Mont Blanc, between the 

 Grands Mulets and the Eochers Eouges near the 

 summit, is formed by three gigantic steps, if they 

 may so be called, one above the other, each of which 

 is many hundred feet high. Between each is a com- 

 paratively level platform of glacier ; and the topmost 

 of these, which is two or three miles across, is called 

 the Grand Plateau. Its position can be made out 

 very well from Chamouni with the naked eye. Up 

 these slopes our road now lay ; and for more than two 

 hours we followed one another in silence now trudg- 

 ing over the level places, and now slowly climbing, 

 in zigzag, up the steeps. Very little talking went on, 

 for we knew that we should soon need all our breath. 

 The walking here, however, was by no means diffi- 

 cult ; for the snow was hard and crisp, and we made 

 very good progress, although, for a long time, we saw 

 the red speck of fire, far below us, gleaming on the 

 Grands Mulets. The stars were out, and the air was 

 sharp and cold, but only disagreeably biting when 

 the lightest puff of wind came. This was not very 

 often, for we were sheltered on all sides by the 

 heights and aiguilles around us. 



