664 
ICE- HILL. 
ajid we exhausted ourselves fruitlessly, for some time, in fathoming 
the loose snow with our poles. When the sad truth burst upon us, 
our feelings may perhaps be conceived, but cannot be expressed.” — 
Such is Mr. Dornford’s account of this calamitous adventure. The 
survivors did not pursue the attempt, but after every endeavour, 
although fruitless, to recover their lost companions, abandoned the 
enterprise, and returned to Chamounie. 
Few years ever pass, in these elevated regions of desolation, without 
witnessing similar calamities, varying indeed in their local circum- 
stances, but all partaking of one common character. But no disaster, 
how horrible soever in its nature, is sufficient to deter new adventurers 
from resorting to the same dangerous expedients, without any other 
stimulant to urge them to their enterprise, or reward them for their toil 
and danger, than what the gratification of curiosity can bestow. 
Many who escape the precipices and chasms in which others perish, 
lose their way, and are frozen to death with the cold ; and among 
those who have the happiness to return unhurt, few have been able 
to boast that their recompense has been equal to their labour. 
Ice-Hill. 
This is a kind of structure common on the Neva at Petersburg, 
which affords a perpetual fund of amusement to the populace. They 
are constructed in the following manner. A scaffolding is raised upon 
the river, about thirty feet in height, with a landing-place at the top, 
the ascent to which is by a ladder. From the summit a sloping plain 
of boards, about four yards broad and thirty Jong, descends to the 
superficies of the river ; it is supported by strong poles gradually 
decreasing in height, and its sides are defended by a parapet of 
planks. Upon these boards are laid square masses of ice, about four 
inches thick, which being first smoothed with the axe, and laid close 
to each other, are then sprinkled with water: by these mea’ns they 
coalesce, and, adhering to the boards, immediately form an inclined 
plain of pure ice. From the bottom of this plain the snow is cleared 
away for the length of two hundred yards, and the breadth of four, 
upon the level bed of the river; and the sides of this course, as well 
as the sides and top of the scaffolding, are ornamented with firs and 
pines. Each person being provided with a sledge, mounts the ladder ; 
and having attained the summit, he sets himself upon his sledge at 
the upper extremity of the inclined plain, down which he sufiers it 
to glide with considerable rapidity, poising it as he goes down ; when 
the velocity acquired by the descent, carries it more than one hundred 
vards above the level ice of the river. At the end of this course, 
there is usually a similar ice-hill, nearly parallel to the former, which 
begins where the other ends, so' that he immediately mounts again, 
and in the same manner glides down the other inclined plain of ice. 
This diversion he repeats as often as he pleases. These ice-hills 
exhibit a pleasing appearance upon the river, from the trees with 
which they are ornamented, as well as from the moving objects which 
at particular times of the day are descending without intermission. 
