1860-61 'MR. BRIGGS ON THE ALPS' 107 



and driving mist. An eagle soared above us, 

 with lordly mastery over the gale : made a circular 

 sweep, scrutinising the figures who had dared to 

 invade his region, and then sailed off with the 

 breeze into the clouds overshadowing fair Italy, 

 to seek its prey there. Whether it were Austrian 

 or French I could not make out. Cole reached 

 the summit after me ; Mrs. Cole, with Clerk and 

 two guides, had preceded us ; then came the 

 young German, much exhausted, and with hae- 

 morrhage from his nose. Lastly appeared poor 

 Hardman, the stout gentleman, his head drooping, 

 as he was dragged along by a guide at each arm 

 and pushed behind by his friend. It suggested 

 to me a new series of illustrations in " Punch " 

 — "Mr. Briggs on the Alps!" We were soon 

 all in high spirits. Brandy flasks, sherry and 

 light red wine and lemonade ; bread and cold 

 mutton, for which my appetite was quite prepared ; 

 a few could not manage solids. 



'We were soon ready to move again, urged 

 by the biting cold. My feet felt frozen, and the 

 tips of my fingers. We descended the steep 

 summit in a wild scamper, the light disintegrated 

 snow permitting you to draw out the leg in 

 time to prevent a summersault, and were soon 

 at the bottom, when the guides called halt ; then 

 began the more careful retracing our steps over 

 the snow-covered glacier ; and now the sun had 

 softened the snow, and we swayed to and fro like 



