Summit of Mount Blane. 3 
summit, and is mentioned in praise of him who has happily 
attained the object. It was therefore difficult to choose— 
but we took, those who had before made the attempt. ‘The 
women too were to be consulted, for however anxious they 
might be that their sons should procure the honor, they 
were loth to let their husbands encounter so many perils. 
In vain did the guides represent to us the dangers and 
privations of the undertaking—in vain expatiate on the heat, 
the cold, the fatigue, and above all on the many failures. 
We conversed with Balmat and Paccard, the two first who 
ascended, and having previously agreed with a master guide, 
appointed the next day for the ascent. 
At 3 o’clock A. M. on the 11th inst. mass was said for a 
successful journey and a safe return, and at 5 we commen- 
ced our way—our guides preceded with the necessary arti- 
cles and we followed, confident of success. For a league 
our way laid through ‘fields of grain, and then commenced 
the woody region that extends double the distance up the 
mountain. Here we found ourselves at the edge of the Gla- 
cier Bossons (one of the grandest of the mount,) and for two 
leagues mounted near to its side. The way was painful 
and difficult, winding on the mountain side, and crossing 
streams that pour constantly from the higher regions. We 
had now ascended 5 leagues, and were about to quit the 
land; here commenced the region of eternal ice. Balmat, 
the veteran hero of the hoary mount, who first placed foot 
on its frozen summit, had thus far accompanied us: his age 
prevented him from ascending farther, and wishing us a 
safe return, he retraced our mountain path. Thus ae we 
had followed a kind of path, but once on the snow, a bleak 
region extended before us,—no footstep marked the white 
surface—no sign of life or animation arose to cheer us. Here 
too commenced the dangers of the way, and we were for-. 
ced to follow in regular succession :—first went a guide with 
two long poles to search for crevices, that we might avoid 
them—then followed a man with an axe to cut foot holes 
in the ice; then came two who changed with the above, 
and formed a relief: next followed a man with the ladder— 
at some little distance I followed tied by a rope round the 
waist to two guides, one of whom preceded, the other fol- 
lowed me—and lastly came Mr. H. tied in the same manner 
to two other guides. Each of the men carried a knapsack 
