longer to be seen, and the
form of the Glacier des Bossons could scarcely be distinguished from the
Montagne de la Cote. Gradually and imperceptibly they vanished into
night, the stars came out, the guests retired, and following their
example I climbed up to my room on the sixth floor. We had left Martigny
at four in the morning, and had walked most of the way to Forclaz, and
the whole of it from thence over the Col de Balme, so I was not sorry to
get to bed. Not having the remotest intention of making the ascent my
slumbers were undisturbed by the excitement which they say invariably
precedes the undertaking, from which even professionals are said not to
be exempt. On getting up next morning I was very agreeably surprised to
find that the sun was shining brightly on the summit which was entirely
free from clouds--a somewhat unusual circumstance, as lofty mountain
peaks more often than otherwise are enveloped in them, especially in the
morning.

Feeling lazy and somewhat stiff after our long walk of the previous day,
we loitered about till nearly twelve o'clock, and then decided upon
taking advantage of the splendid weather by making an excursion to the
Brevent, a mountain on the north side of the valley, from which the view
of the Mont Blanc chain is one of the finest in the neighbourhood. A
mule was hired with a boy to attend it, and a stout muscular young guide
named Francois Ravanel was employed--not that there was any need of his
good services, but the rules and regulations of the "Bureau des Guides"
must be complied with, and one of these stipulates that a guide must in
all cases accompany a mule.

After crawling upwards for a couple of hours, we arrived at a newly
erected hut, where refreshment was provided, and here the remainder of
the afternoon was devoted to the inspection of the magnificent scenery
which surrounded us on every side. The Valley of Chamonix lies nearly
east and west, and is so narrow that it might almost be termed a ravine.
It is rather more than ten miles long and less than half a mile in
width. The mountains of the Mont Blanc range on the south, and those of
the Brevent, on the north, rise abruptly on either side, their bases
being covered with thick forests of pine for some two thousand feet
above the valley. On the south side countless "aiguilles" pierce the
sky, from le Tour on the east to the Aiguille du Goute on the west.

These graceful spires are of warm tinted rock, and here and th