of the additional pleasure he has received from the conversation of his guide." The price allowed by government for the services of a guide, was seven francs per day, which they voluntarily reduced to six francs, the old French crown. Jacques Balmat, the most daring skilful and experienced of the guides who made the first ascent of Mont Blanc, and was 70 years old, disappeared in 1835. He went out with a hunter of Valorsine to chase the chamois, parted from him near the Pic de Medi, having proposed an ascent which the other thought too dangerous; but poor Jacques was from his youth a goldfinder; one who believed that it would be possible to become suddenly rich by such a discovery. He always preferred to follow this phantasy to acting as guide, and he paid for it the forfeit of his life. The spot from which he fell, over the precipices of the Mortine is known, but to recover the body was considered impossible. EXCURSIONS AROUND CHAMOUNY. Above me are the Alps, The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls Gather around these summits, as to show How earth may pierce to Heaven, yet leave vain man below." It is impossible to imagine the bustle and excitement of a visit to Chamoury. The arrival and departure of travellers, the presence of the guides and their tales of adventures, the plans for to day or to-morrow, the weather, not here the commonplace substitute for having nothing else to say, but the most important source of enjoyment or disappointment to the traveller. On looking out in the evening upon Mont Blanc, from the windows or the yard of the Hôtel de Londres, with a plan for to-morrow, with what anxiety all indications of a change are watched; how every body is consulted; groups of ramblers arrive from Geneva, from the Valais, from Piedmont, or from visits to the surrounding points of view; success is envied-failure pitied. The Montanvert.-This is generally the first, often the only excursion made from Chamouny, with the intention of returning to it. The object of this excursion is to visit the Mer de Glace, the enormous glaciers which terminate in the Glacier du Bois, and the source of the Averon, in the valley of Chamouny. To go to the Montanvert it is necessary to cross the Arve and the opposite meadows, by a path which leads across the valley to the foot of the Montanvert, where the path rises above the valley, through the forest of pines which skirts the base of the mountain, in some places very steep, and to ladies, or unpractised travellers, mounted on mules, apparently dangerous; but as the guide is generally in attendance in all places of difficulty, and there are really none of danger, confidence is soon possessed. After a scramble amidst rocks, and the roots of pines and larches, occasional openings among the trees afford peeps into the valley, and mark the great height so rapidly attained. Sometimes crues are crossed-the channels of avalanches in the winter, which sweep down every thing in their course. Here the guides generally perform the mystery of desiring silence, lest a whisper should disturb the slumbering snows above, and bring down destruction by displacing a rock. The step from the sublime to the ridiculous, is here reduced to the smallest possible interval. Until within a few years, the path beyond this place was impracticable for mules; now, however, it is made good to the pavilion, or house, on the Montanyert, which is reached from Chamouny in 2 1/2 hours. This was originally a rough inclosure of four dry walls, covered with a roof for shelter, which was built at the expense of an Englishman, and named the Château de Blair; this has now become a cowhouse or stable; and even the pavilion, built afterwards at the expense of a M. Desportes, by M. Jaguet, to extend the benefits of the Château de Blair, is so improved, that refreshment, accommodation, and beds, in the season, await the visitors to the Montanvert, the Jardin, and other spots of interest to which it leads. From the Montanvert, the Mer de Glace is seen to an extent of two leagues up the valley, towards the Mont Periades and the Aiguilles of Lechaud, on either side of which, a branch continues; that on the S. W. forming the great glacier of Tacul, and that on the E. and N. E. the glaciers of Lechaud and Talèfre. The view of this enormous sea of ice is one of the most striking in these scenes of wonder, but its great extent, from the vast size of every object about it, is very deceptive. Directly across the Mer de Glace are some of the finest of those pinnacled mountains which form so striking a feature in the Chamouny scenery. The nearest is the Aiguille du Dru, and still further on the right, is the Aiguille du Moine. A thousand nameless pinnacles pierce the clouds between them, and seem to prop the loftiest of this stupendous mass which is the Aiguille Verte, that rises more than 13,000 feet above the level of the sea, and nearly 7000 feet above the Montanvert. Those who do not intend to cross the Mer de Glace, should, at least, descend upon it, to have a just idea of its character, and by walking far enough upon it, two or three hundred yards, to observe the beauty of its purity and colour in the crevices, which cannot be conceived when looking down upon it, for the stones and soil are rejected to its surface, and thrown over at its edges, forming what are called the moraines of the glacier. The Jardin.-Those who wish to cross the Mer de Glace, and visit the Jardin or Courtil, on the Glacier de Talèfre, should sleep at the pavilion, for, to a fatiguing day's journey, two hours and a half makes an important addition. The accommodation now offered at the pavilion enables the traveller to sleep comfortably and start early. No person would venture without a guide, and with one, a description of the course is scarcely necessary. The great object of the excursion is to enter more into the heart of Mont Blanc, to penetrate into its profound valleys, and witness scenes of wilder horrors and more savage solitude; and there is no excursion from Chamouny that excites these sublime emotions more powerfully. The guide should be provisioned for this excursion, and in fact any other where the visitors are not numerous enough to insure an establishment for refreshment. Bread and cold meat, and wine, should be taken by the guide to the Jardin, the Mont Breven, the Chapeau, and such other places as the guide may advise. The course taken, is to follow the S. W. side of the Mer de Glace, and reach the base of the Aiguille de Charmoz, where, from there being fewer crevices, the Mer de Glace can be crossed with greater safety. Several ridges of moraines, called arrêtes, which lie in the direction of the glacier, are crossed, and that part of the glacier called Lechaud is ascended a little, to attain the lower extremity of that of Talèfre, which here presents an awful appearance, from the disruption of the ice, and the vast and wild masses and pyramids into which the glacier has broken, from its abrupt descent into the glacier of Lechaud. These hang in terrorem over the traveller who dares to approach them. To pass these glaciers it is necessary to climb the rocks of the Couvercle, the base of the Aiguille du Talèfre. This, which is difficult from its excessive steepness, is not dangerous. A part of the path lies in a little gulley in the rock, to climb over which, in some places, the hands are required, as well as the feet. This part of the passage is called the Egralets. Above it, where the path is less steep, and where there is some herbage, the traveller reaches the bed or level of the Glacier du Talèfre, which leads to an oasis in this desert-an "Mont Blanc is the monarch of mountains, On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, In returning from the Jardin it is not necessary to descend by the Egralets; a steep path leads down from the glacier of Talèfre to the glacier of Lechaud, and then by the path to the base of the Charmoz, to Montanvert, and Chamouny. It requires five hours to go from the pavilion to the Jardin, and seven or eight to return from the Jardin to Chamouny, for though the descent may be made quicker, the traveller is more fatigued, and, allowing for rest and enjoyment, the journey is one of sixteen hours, from and to Chamouny; the gain of three, therefore, by starting from the Montanvert, will obviously lessen its fatigue. The Flégère. This point of view of Mont Blanc is that which is most generally attained by ladies, because it may be accomplished on mules the whole way, and it is one of the finest in the valley. It was from the Croix de Flégère that Mr. Burford took his panoramic view of Mont Blanc, lately exhibited in Leicester Square. The point attained lies exactly opposite the Glacier du Bois, or Mer de Glace; and from no point are the remarkable group of Aiguilles, which surround the Aiguille Verte, so finely seen. The Montanvert is visited for the sake of its proximity to the Mer de Glace; the Flégère, to enjoy a view of Mont Blanc with its attendant objects. It is an excursion which requires only two hours and a half, from Chamouny to the Flégère. The road that leads to it, lies up the valley, to the hamlet of les Près, where it turns off to the left towards the Aiguille de Chalanods, one of the Aiguilles Rouges, where a steep path commences, which leads up to the pasturage of Pra de Viola. Thence a good hour is required to attain the Croix de Flégère, which commands a view of the whole range, from the Col de Balme, to the furthest glacier that, below Chamouny, streams into the valley, which lies in a great part of its extent in delicious repose beneath the observer. Within two minutes' walk of the Cross are the chalets of Flégère, which afford shelter in unfavourable weather, and where refreshment may he had : for sight-seeing is turned to good account in every place in the neighbourhood of Chanouny where the visitors are numerous enough to ensure a sale of the provision made. The height of the Croix de Flégère is about 3500 feet above the valley. ( If the traveller be pressed for time, and can only visit one of the spots of interest around Chamouny, it should be the Montanvert; if two, this and the Flégère; the third should be the Breven. This excursion requires five hours from Chamouny to the summit of the Breven; it is fatiguing and difficuit for ladies, yet many go there; for if they can bear the fatigue, their guides either avoid danger, or protect them when exposed to it; and the confidence which the names of Balmat, Coutet, Tairraz, Davassoud, and others, inspire, is so great, that the adventurous dame who begins with the Flégère often ends with the Jardin or the Breven. It is fatiguing, however, to reach the Breven and descend in one day, about 12 hours; for this reason many go in the evening to the châlets of Planpra, or Pliampra, the path to which lies behind the church of Chamouny, and leads directly towards the base of the Breven. This mountain and the Aiguilles Rouges form the northwestern boundary of the Vale of Chamouny, nearly throughout its extent. It is strikingly distinguished, however, from its neighbour, by its ridge being unbroken, and even rounded, though it offers on the side of Chamouny a vast line of precipices, apparently inaccessible. About one third of the ascent to the Breven may be accomplished on a mule; another third will attain the chalets of Planpra, where there is a glorious view of Mont Blanc and the valley of Chamouny. In this wild spot the meadows and pasturages are beautiful. Above Planpra, either a fatiguing path may be taken, which is cut in the rocks, or one, that leads directly up the pasturages, which, when dry, are very slippery; it is a choice of labour and difficulty without much difference: many patches of snow are passed, and it is not uncommon to observe the red fungus upon it, such as Captain Parry noticed in the high latitudes of his northern voyages. At the end of an hour from Planpra, the path reaches the base of a steep rock, which it is necessary to climb, by a sort of open chimney about 50 feet high. To clamber up this perpendicular gulley is one of the feats of which travellers boast; those, however, who do not value the glory it confers, or will not set it against the risk, go on half a mile, and find a convenient path by which this precipitous rock can be surmounted. Above it the path lies up a gentle slope, neither fatiguing |