21
Late Ascent to Mount Blanc.
Extract of a letter from an English artist now on the Continent:-The 25th of July now finds us in the celebrated vale of Chamouny, with the Glaciers and Mont Blanc in view. This latter object, far seen and far famed, gives an interest to whatever relates to it. On our arrival at the inn at Chamouny, we were told that two Englishmen had started yesterday morning, at nine o’clock, to make the perilous ⟨journey⟩ to the top of the mountain, ⟨with⟩ nine guides, making in all eleven, and it ⟨had⟩ at first been observed through a telescope in the inn that two had actually reached the summit. All eyes were now on the alert. The glass I got hold of at an upper window; and, after adjusting and ⟨shifting⟩ it about, observed with mute attention, on the side of the summit, some small black objects, that by degrees changed their places, and by a progress very slow but perceptible, appeared advancing upwards. To all the people in the house this was a subject of intense curiosity, and, by turns, each saw and bore witness to the phenomenon. I counted to the number of nine; a party of four were in advance in a group, with one a-head, while others, two and two, lagged considerably behind, As they were proceeding from us, their movement was slow and little perceived; onwards, however, we saw them reach the summit, where, little as they seemed, they were nearly lost in the deep blue sky. Even the last two, lingering, stopping, and resting, approached at last the top,
