left before daylight, and we found nowhere less than three or four inches on the ground.
As we commenced to ascend now the exposed northern steeps of Monte Croce, the depth of snow rapidly increased, and before we had reached the Taberna of Caputo, upon the sloping back of the great spur, between Monte Fieno and the little vallone of Pierno, at 11 a.m., we were brought to a standstill, in snow of two, to two and a half feet deep. A train of muleteers with produce, which we had seen before us, were here also brought up. All trace of road or path was lost. The air, though lightsome and still, was filled with a fine powdery crystalline ice, whose minute falling particles rapidly filled outside pockets and boots, with some pounds of heavy ice. The snow, where it lay in pits and hollows, showed its density and depth, by the starchy blue aspect it bore; and we were still five or six miles from the summit of the ridge. The opinion of the leading muleteer, of the train we had come up with, who had been snowed up at Caputo, for three weeks the preceding year in April, was, that a heavy fall of snow might be expected that night, and that unless we could make good the passage before sunset, it would become impracticable.
He and his companions, experienced carriers of wine and oil upon the road, also thought that it would be possible, to clear a track in good time, if sufficient labouring help could be collected. Matters looked urgent; money was to be weighed against time. I promised him and his "banda," a liberal donation and five piastres each, and one piastre to every labourer they could collect, provided they had the passage cleared so that we could get over, before sundown.
We all returned about two and a half miles down to the
