peded by the pole, which left me but one hand at liberty. Once past the gully, a few paces over the ledge brought us to the other side, and we regained the path (if so it might be called) once more.

As we continued our course, we found many of the rocks undermined by large masses of earth having fallen from them, leaving spacious caverns, through whose porous roofs the water continually dripped. Here we rested a few minutes and refreshed ourselves with a glass of wine, my companion having fortunately brought a flagon with him. Resuming our march, we scrambled on much in the same manner for two hours longer. We were now approaching the upper end of the glacier, and found the ice smoother and whiter, as if snow had recently fallen, so we determined to cross (the garden being on the opposite side). This we accomplished easily enough, until nearly over, when our progress was impeded by large banks of ice, fourteen or fifteen feet high, dirty and rotten; round these we were obliged to wind our somewhat weary way, occasionally stopping to breathe and look about us.

I had observed for some time past a change gradually taking place in the weather: the sky was overcast; the clouds were gathering on the mountains' tops, getting darker and lower, and at last assumed the murky grey appearance sailors call " greasy," and which foreboded, not a transient shower, but a settled rain. mentioned it to my companion, and hinted the propriety of turning back. I represented the extremely disagreeable situation we should be placed in, were my prognostics fulfilled-a distance of fully three hours from "the Refuge" by

I

the quickest rate of travelling, and with the glacier again to cross, in a narrow valley, where the slightest concussion, even speaking loudly, was sufficient to detach the masses of snow which but slightly adhered to the rocks immediately above us-much more so, when the rain, and its accompanying evils, might render our return difficult, if not dangerous. My objections were overruled, and we continued to wade on through the mud, but were scarcely over, when a lengthened peal of thunder burst through the sullen air, and striking from rock to rock, prolonged itself in countless echoes. Large drops of rain fell wide, and pattered heavily on the ice; a thick, black mist spread itself on every side? the gloom was terrific, heightening the natural horrors of the place; it caused even my companion to pause, and reluctantly to forego his purpose; so, much to my satisfaction, we turned our faces towards the Hospice, far hidden from our sight.

We proposed, instead of recrossing the glacier where we were, to keep along on the same side until we could discover the Chalet, and then attempt a passage-and this was the cause of all our misfortunes. No time was to be lostthe rain increased-the lightning flashed-and the thunder bellowed fearfully from time to time. We strode on as fast as the broken ground would allow, keeping down along the edge of the glacier and under the rocks for about an hour, and then prepared to cross obliquely to some point, from whence we might reach "the Refuge." We had insensibly repassed all the smoother ice, which had so recently afforded us a safe and easy passage, and got to enormous ridges

of frozen snow, of perhaps fifteen feet in height, covered with earth and pebbles-the débris which had fallen in showers from the heights

above.

Making our way slowly and with difficulty between these masses, we came to the real glacier, which had, however, completely changed its character; instead of the comparatively smooth ice, covered with a coat of frozen snow, we found the blocks larger and the seams wider, and to be traversed with increasing difficulty, It It was no pleasing thing to stand on a block of slippery ice, and jump across a chasm of unknown depth, upon a lump equally slippery, at the hazard of missing our footing, and gliding beyond all possible relief.

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After passing over some awkward places, we found it difficult, if not impossible, to return, and must therefore keep on at all hazards and here we began to feel the full weight of our folly; the tempest was increasing frightfully; the lightning flashed across eyes; the thunder roared; and the wind, in fitful gusts, dashed the rain in our faces: whilst the black mist, heightened the savage gloom around us. Of course, we soon got wet through, but made the best of our way onwards.

our

Thebergs" became more isolated; the seams increased to chasms; it was often necessary to walk round a piece more than once, to discover the means of passing over to another: many were only connected with each other by a narrow slip of ice, affording a peril ous and insecure footing, every other part being encircled by a chasm of perhaps eight feet dis tant- -m uch too wide to think of jumping. The sides of these

chasms were rounded by continual rains, and the surface of the ice rendered exceedingly slippery by that now falling. In this manner, alternately advancing and receding, we got to the centre, and our situation was awful; the rain poured in torrents; our clothes stuck to the skin; in spite of the necessary exertions, my hands and feet were benumbed by the cold, walking on the wet glassy ice, in shoes thin at the first, but now trodden down at heel, and burst at the sides. The water "squashing" through them, it was with the greatest difficulty I could keep them on my feet; and this proved to be very fortunate, as, had they been thick and strong, I could never have kept my footing on the ice, and must have thrown them off and gone without-rather unpleasant to have walked barefooted over such a road for four or five hours. At last we jumped down upon a block of ice, and found it completely separated from the others by a crevice several feet wide, into which an enormous block of granite had wedged itself, and over this it was necessary to pass from one to the other: it rested high over the terrible gulf, whose sleek and crystal sides ran down to unknown depths; the stone was narrow. The piece of ice we wished to cross to was much lower than the one we were on; so, supposing we got over the stone in safety, and found our farther passage impracticable, we could not get back again. There was no alternative. My friend mounted first: he sat astride, and placing his hands forward upon the rock, drew himself along, until he reached the middle, when it was necessary to TURN (a most perilous thing to accomplish), and slide down upon his stomach. However, he got safely over, and

then my turn came, and with thoughts far from agreeable, I climbed up on the stone, and when I came to turn and embrace the cold dirty stone, its chill seemed to strike to the heart. Nevertheless, I slid down, and my companion assisted to "land me in safety. We continued our course in a sad plight, our minds absorbed in the dangers it was evident we should have to encounter. We crossed another chasm over a similar stone, and when down, we found ourselves upon a large berg, cut off from all communication with the rest, except in one place, and that by a passage so perilous, that it seemed hopeless to attempt it. It was a narrow wasted ridge of ice, like a wall, the upper edge worn so thin by the action of the elements as to be but little thicker than a horse's backbone, though it got broader downwards; it might be twenty feet across. This, my companion declared it was impossible to cross, and we sat down in mute despair.

Here we were, cut off from all hope of assistance, far beyond the sight and hearing of human beings. I hallooed, but I felt at the time how hopelessly.

In such a situation, how many thoughts crowd on the mind. I thought of home and of the few still left, who might make a nine days' wonder of us, whilst sitting round a bright fire, should the news ever reach them; but even that was scarcely probable;-we might be seen, perhaps, but not alive, as we could never have survived the night; and what a death to die! by cold and hunger, in regions of ice and snow! After sitting some time, and taking a gloomy glance around, my companion resolved to try the despe

rate alternative: he said, truly enough, to remain where we were was certain destruction, and we could but attempt to pass over, even though the failure would accelerate our otherwise inevitable fate. No time was to be lost, and we prepared to cross the ridge.

My companion took the lead. The end of the ridge next us was somewhat lower than the block of ice we were on, and sunk down in the middle with a slight curve— and at the other end it rose about four feet. My friend sat down with his legs hanging over the yawning abyss, and lowering himself upon the ridge, placed his hands before him, drew his body along, precisely as you may have seen boys draw themselves along a scaffold-pole laid horizontally: we had the advantage, however, of steadying ourselves by pressing our legs against the ice. Having in this manner got nearly over, and to where it began to rise, the greatest caution was necessary in rising on his feet, in order to draw himself up upon the block of solid ice.

I watched his progress with intense anxiety, and then it was my turn to follow. My heart sunk within me-my companion stood on the other side and encouraged me. I threw my pole over to him, and then sate down on the edge of this awful chasm. I stretched my legs over the icy saddle: the pelting rain was running off in numberless rills; the rough, uneven, jagged edge struck a chill upon my very heart; my clothes were stiff, and frozen on me; my hands and feet benumbed with cold; almost shoeless, and the skin torn off my fingers by the rough ice and small stones scattered over the glacier. I moved slowly and steadily onwards; I looked down on

either side the yawning gulf below me I felt the necessity of collecting all my energies-it was the calmness of despair. I uttered no sound; poised as I was, the slightest swerve either way, and I should lose my balance, and then all would be over. I drew myself along, and steadied myself by pressing my legs against the glassy ice; and then, when almost over, I had to raise myself upon my feet to mount the solid block-the most nervous of all. I gathered one foot up, and by the help of the pole which my companion extended to me slowly rose, and stood upon the narrow, slippery edge, and gained the block in safety. Once more together, what was next to be done?

We made the best of our way onwards, with tolerable ease, for some time, often, however, after having proceeded an hundred paces, obliged to return, and take another direction, it being impossible to see the difficulties until we came to them. In many instances we had to jump down upon a block, and over a narrow chasm, and were unable to return, as well from the slipperiness and the unyielding nature of the material, as from the impossibility of jumping up and over a crevice at the same time. At last we leaped down upon a large block of this description, and, to our horror, found it quite isolated-chasms fairly all round us-ghastly icy

walls horrible to contemplate. The chasm which separated the block nearest to us, was fully six feet across. It was not so much the distance, as the uncertainty of being able to keep our footing when over:- we could not, of course, take a standing leap, and there was great difficulty in running on the surface, slippery with rain.

My companion thought it could not be done; however, as I had for some time conceived our escape hopeless, I became careless of what might befall me. I threw my staff over, and, retiring a few paces, sprang over, and came with nose and knees on the ice with considerable violence, too happy in having accomplished the main object to care much about the minor evil of peeling my "flippers" against the sharp corners, and alighting upon the ice with a force which shook me to the centre. My companion followed, and fortunately, this proved the last of our dangers; and so powerfully had we been excited for the last three hours, that difficulties and disagreeables were now passed by unheeded. We found the remaining part of the glacier tolerably connected, and, after floundering about for some time, had the happiness to come to terra firma, at the bottom of the rocks, near the spot where we stopped for refreshment in the morning.