THE STORY O JIONT BLANC. a5

interval of time, and in August, 1820, Cha- monix was visited by a Doctor Hame’, mn the service of the Emperor of Russia. He had gone to the valley on a scientific mis- sion, and one part of his programme was the ascension of Mont Blanc, for which he at once began to make preparations. -\t Geneva he had met two English gentlemen, who expressed a wish to accompany him, to which he gladly assented. Ten guides were cngaged for the expedition, which was destined to be a memorable and a disastrous one. One of these guides, Joseph Marie Cottet, was still Tiving 1n 1863, and we cannot do better than give the particulars of this remarkable ascent in his own words :—

“We lett Chamonix on Friday, the 18th of August, 1820. Our party consisted of the Russian, Doctor Hamel, two English- men, six guides, and three or tour porters. We made our first halt at the rocks of the Grands- Mulets. The weather was very threatening, and we were com- pelled to remain al our resting place for twenty- tour hours. When Sunday came the weather was no better, but Doc- tor Hamel said that he did not intend to miss his opportunity, and he 1nsisted on the journcy being continued. Some of the men, however, decided to rcturn to Cha-

Pierre Balmat, Auguste Tairraz, and Pierrc Carrier, who had to cut steps in the ice with their axes. Suddenly therc arosc a cry of ‘We are lost!' as a tremendous roar was heard over our heads, and we were swept down with the rapidity of lightning into an abyss six hundred feet below. An avalanche had fallen. I recovered my senses and regained my feet, and not being much hurt I immediately did what I could

to succour my companions. Sec- mg two - arms sticking out of the snow 1 went for them, and found they were the arms of my brother, David Cottet, whom 1 rescued. We then set to work to try and rescue the othcers. We saw one of the Iinglishmen—Colonel Anderson —cmerge from the snow, wring- g his hands in despair. Doctor Hamel and the other Englishman were also sate, but Pierre Balmat, Picrre Carrier, and Augustce Tairraz were nowhere to be seen., Although our axes and alpen- stocks were covered with ice, and our fingers were frozen stiff, we dug n the snow in scarch of our poor companions until at last Doctor Hamel said : ‘It is uscless,

MONIX, and the AN AVALANCHE HAL FALLEN,” chy will rll'\'L‘ no - more 'lfl this caravan was rc- world. We can do nothing for duced to ten persons—the three travellers them. The instinet of self-preservation

and seven guides. We started on our upward course at four o'clock in the morn- ing. We traversed the Grand Plateau with great difficulty owing to the freshly fallen snow. We were compelled to go in single file, and were constantly menaced with avalanches, while dé/onrs were neces- sary 1 order to avoid the crevasses of the great glaciers. The caravan was led by

prompted us to lose no time in descending ; and with unutterable sorrow we lefl our companions in their nameless graves. Two of the victims left wives and families. Great indignation was expressed against Doctor Hamel for having insisted on continuing the ascent 1 such bad weather, and he lost no time i quitting the valley. The two Finglishmen gave a considerable sum of