lian miles in length, to the descent of the Italian side of the
mountain. These sledges are not much different from the chairs, or
sedans, or horse, we then quitted; only the two under poles are flat, and
not so long as the others, and turning up a little at the end, to hinder
them from sticking fast in the snow. To the fore-ends of the poles are
fixed two round sticks, about two feet and a half long, which serve for a
support and help to the man who guides the mule, who, running on the snow
between the mule and the sledge, holds the sticks with each hand.

It was diverting to see the two sledgemen striving to outrun each other.

Encouraged by Sir Charles's generosity, we very soon arrived at the other
end of the plain. The man who walked, or rather ran, between the sledge
and the mule, made a continual noise; hallooing and beating the stubborn
beast with his fists, which otherwise would be very slow in its motion.

At the end of this plain we found such another hut as that on the
Lanebourg side. Here they took off the smoking mules from the sledges,
to give them rest.

And now began the most extraordinary way of travelling that can be
imagined. The descent of the mountain from the top of this side, to a
small village called Novalesa, is four Italian miles. When the snow has
filled up all the inequalities of the mountain, it looks, in many parts,
as smooth and equal as a sugar-loaf. It is on the brink of this rapid
descent that they put the sledge. The man who is to guide it, sits
between the feet of the traveller, who is seated in the elbow-chair, with
his legs at the outside of the sticks fixed at the fore-ends of the flat
poles, and holds the two sticks with his hands; and when the sledge has
gained the declivity, its own weight carries it down with surprising
celerity. But as the immense irregular rocks under the snow make now
and then some edges in the declivity, which, if not avoided, would
overturn the sledge; the guide, who foresees the danger, by putting his
foot strongly and dexterously in the snow next to the precipice, turns
the machine, by help of the above-mentioned sticks, the contrary way,
and by way of zig-zag goes to the bottom. Such was the velocity of this
motion, that we dispatched these four miles in less than five minutes;
and, when we arrived at Novalesa, hearing that the snow was very deep
most of the way to Susa, and being pleased with our way of travelling, we
had some mules put again to the