vi MOUNTAINS 209 



and in a year or two a little crest of corn is 

 seen waving upon the rocky casque." 



Tyndall, speaking of the scene from the 

 summit of the Little Scheideck/ says : " The 

 upper air exhibited a commotion which we 

 did not experience ; clouds were wildly driven 

 against the flanks of the Eiger, the Jungfrau 

 thundered behind, while in front of us a mag- 

 nificent rainbow, fixing one of its arms in the 

 valley of Grindelwald, and, throwing the 

 other right over the crown of the Wetterhorn, 

 clasped the mountain in its embrace. Through 

 jagged apertures in the clouds floods of golden 

 light were poured down the sides of the moun- 

 tain. On the slopes were innumerable chalets, 

 glistening in the sunbeams, herds browsing 

 peacefully and shaking their mellow bells ; 

 while the blackness of the pine trees, crowded 

 into woods, or scattered in pleasant clusters 

 over- alp and valley, contrasted forcibly with 

 the lively green of the fields." 



Few men had more experience of moun- 

 tains than Mr. Whymper, and from him, 

 I will quote one remarkable passage de- 



1 Tlie Glaciers of the Alps. 



