Woodley, with four guides, distanced the
others, some of whom gave in on the Grand Plateau and returned to the
Grands Mulets. MM. Bourrit and Camper commenced to beat a retreat after
having nearly reached the foot of the last slope; then a mist came on,
which added to their difficulties, but they managed to find their way to
the tent, where, towards night, they were rejoined by Mr. Woodley and
his guides, the former with his feet frost-bitten. The following
morning they returned to Chamonix. Mr. Woodley was obliged to keep his
feet in snow and salt for a fortnight; one of the Balmats was blind for
three weeks; Cachat had his hands frozen, and poor M. Bourrit made up
his mind never to try it again!

1791.--Two of the guides accompanying four Englishmen were seriously
injured by a fall of rocks on La Cote--one of them sustaining a broken
leg, the other a fractured skull.

1802.--On the 10th of August, M. Forneret and Baron Doorthensen reached
the Summit after suffering acutely from the rarified air. M. Forneret
compared the agony he endured to that of a man whose lungs were being
violently torn from his chest!

1820.--The first recorded fatal accident occurred in this year. Dr.
Hamel, accompanied by M. Selligue and two Oxford men--Messrs. Durnford
and Henderson--and twelve guides, reached the Grands Mulets the first
day. Here they were detained all the next by bad weather. At two the
following morning the storm passed off, and day broke most beautifully.
All were anxious to proceed, with the exception of M. Selligue, who
considered that a married man had no right to risk his life in such a
perilous adventure. Remonstrances proving of no avail, he was left
behind with two guides, who were much disgusted with the arrangement. At
twenty minutes past eight in the morning the party reached the Grand
Plateau, where they made an attempt at breakfast, but there was no great
appetite amongst them. At half-past ten they had arrived nearly below
the Rochers Rouges, and shortly afterwards a frightful disaster
happened, which is thus described by Mr. Durnford:--

"I was obliged to stop half a minute to arrange my veil; and the sun
being at that moment concealed behind a cloud, I tucked it up under the
large straw hat which I wore. In the interval, my companion, H----, and
three of the guides, passed me, so that I was now the sixth on the line,
and, of course, the centre man. H---- was next before me; and as it was
the first