228 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 
descended the steepest side, picking my difficult way 
down the rocks and sliding down immense snow- 
banks, until I was past the alpine portion; then 
making a turn to a subalpine pasture, where cows and 
goats are driven to pass the summer, I struck an old 
path, and ran with all speed to the gorge at the base, 
where the stream that I had traced from its source as 
it trickled from a snowbank, and down a succession 
of little cataracts, was now a foaming and rushing 
torrent. It was then just twilight, and a quiet walk 
of an hour brought me back to the hotel at nine 
o'clock, quite proud of my feat and delighted with the 
fine view I had obtained. But I have paid well for it. 
In the morning I could scarcely stir for the aches and 
pains in my bones, and even now the extensor muscles 
of my legs are sore to the touch and bear woeful tes- 
timony to the hard service they have been obliged 
to perform. ‘TI shall think about it,” as Mr. Davis 
says, before I ascend another mountain. 
And yet I feel myself well repaid for all my 
fatigue. To say nothing of the prospect opening out 
wider and grander as I ascended, I had from the sum- 
mit a magnificent mountain panorama which it was 
well worth the labor to see ; the summits of more than 
one peak white and brilliant with perpetual snow and 
ice. The most stupendous of all is the Thorstein or 
Dachstein, which closes the view to the south, with its 
immense glaciers of the most dazzling whiteness, from 
which numerous steep pinnacles rise like spires, tow- 
ering high above all surrounding objects, illuminate 
by the rays of the setting sun long after all other ob- 
jects are left in the shade. The dark lake of Hall- 
stadt was distinctly seen, appearing to reach up to its 
very base. I could not distinguish the village which 
