ASCENT OF MONT BLANC. 41 



As we reached the almost perpendicular wall of 

 ice below the Kochers Rouges, we came into the full 

 moonlight ; and at the same time, far away on the 

 horizon, the red glow of daybreak was gradually ting- 

 ing the sky, and bringing the higher and more distant 

 mountains into relief. The union of these two effects 

 of light was very strange. At first, simply cold and 

 bewildering, it had nothing of the sunset glories of 

 the Grands Mulcts ; but after a time, when peak after 

 peak rose out from the gloomy world below, the spec- 

 tacle was magnificent. In the dark boundless space 

 a small speck of light would suddenly appear, growing 

 larger and larger, until it took the palpable form of a 

 mountain-top. "Whilst this was going on, other points 

 would brighten here and there, and increase in the 

 same manner ; then a silvery gleam would mark the 

 position of a lake reflecting the sky it was that of 

 Geneva until the grey hazy ocean lighted up into 

 hills and valleys and irregularities, and the entire 

 world below warmed into the glow of sunrise. We 

 were yet in gloom, shadowed by the Aiguille Sans 

 Norn, with the summit of Mont Blanc shut out from 

 us by the Eochers Eouges ; but of course it must 

 have been the earliest to catch the rays. 



It was now fearfully cold, and every now and then 

 a sharp north-east wind nearly cut us into pieces, 

 bringing with it a storm of spiculae of ice, which 

 were really very painful, as they blew against and 

 past our faces and ears ; so we took to our veils again, 



