The ascent of this lofty mountain is particularly hazardous and toilsome ; and in consequence of re peated failures on the part of those who made. the at tempt, was for a long time deemed utterly impracti cable. A short sketch of these adventurous excur sions may not be uninteresting to our readers ; and may .enable them (better than any description can do) to form a livelier conception of the amazing height and wintry horrors of Mont Blanc. The first attempt was made by M. Couteran, and three guides of Cha mouni, Michael Paccard, Victor Tissay, and Marie Coutet. They set out from the priory about eleven i o'clock in the evening, on the 13th of July 1776; and after spending 11 hours in surmountinZ many dan gerous ascents, crossing vallies of ice, and traversing plains of snow, they reached the top next to Mont Blanc, about 13,000 feet above the Mediterranean. They at first imagined themselves to be within a league of its summit ; but soon perceived, that it would re quire other four hours to reach it ; and as the day was far advanced, and the vapours gathering into clouds, they were obliged, with regret, to relinquish their enterprize ; and, after a journey of 22 hours, ar rived at Chamouni about eight o'clock in the evening. The indefatigable Bourrit next excited a spirit of en terprise among the inhabitants of Chamouni ; and af ter repeated unsuccessful attempts, he departed from Bionasay on the 11th of September 1784, accompa nied by six guides, and was scaling, as he expressed it, the rampart of Mont Blanc, when he was so ex tremely affected by the intensity of the cold, as to be unable to proceed. But two of his guides, Marie Coutet, and Francis Guidet, having gone before their company, ascended to the dome of Goute ; passed the middle dome, and walked along the ridge between that and the summit, as far as some high rocks, which appear from the vale of Chamouni like small points in the snow ; but the approach of night compelled them to return. On the 4th of September 1785, Marie Coutet, and James Balma, reached a place under a rock at a considerable elevation, where they passed the night; and setting out before sun-rise, passed the dome of Goute, and were proceeding towards the summit, when a violent storm of hail obliged them to desist. On the 13th of September, Messieurs de Saussure and Bourrit, with twelve guides, left Biona say, passed the night at a lint, which they had order ed to be constructed, about 7808 feet above the level of the sea, and reached the dome of Goute next morn ing without much difficulty ; but a fresh fall of snow rendered farther progress impracticable. In July 1786, six guides of Chamouni failed in another at tempt ; but James Balma, one of their number, hav ing been separated from his companions, passed the night in a spot above the dome of Gouts, more than 12,000 feet above the level of the sea; and, having reconnoitred the situation next morning, observed a place of more easy access .than any that had hitherto been attempted. On his return to Chamouni, he communicated his observation to Dr Paccard, a phy sician of the place, who attended him during a severe indisposition, the effect of the cold and fatigue to which he had been exposed ; and in gratitude for that gentleman's attendance, engaged to conduct him to the summit of the mountain. They set out from Cha
mouri on the 7th of August, spent the night on the mountain of La Cute; at three in the morning pur sued their route to the dome of Gout& ; passed under the middle dome towards the east, along the ridge which is seen from Geneva, and which lies on the left of the summit. Here Dr Paccard was almost de terred by the cold and fatigue from pursuing the en terprise ; but encouraged by Balma to proceed, and frequently walking sideways to shelter their faces from the piercing wind, they at length, about six o'clock in the afternoon, and after an ascent of 15 hours, attained the summit of Mont Blanc. They remained about half an hour on a spot, which no one before them bad been able to reach, and where the cold was so intense as to freeze the provisions in their pockets, congeal the ink in their inkstands, and sink the mercury of Fahrenheit's thermometer to 181, de grees ; their faces were excoriated, their lips swelled, and their sight greatly debilitated by the reflexion of the snow. On the 13th of August 1787, M. de Saussure set out from Chamouni, accompanied by 18 guides, and provided with a tent, mattrasses, phi losophical instruments, and all necessary accommoda tions. They passed the first night on the top of the mountain La Me; encamped at four o'clock in the following afternoon, about 12,762 feet above the level of the sea ; and next morning pursued the ascent in places frequently so steep, that the guides were ob liged to hew out steps with a hatchet. After a very slow progress, and frequent halts for breath, they reached the summit about 11 o'clock in the forenoon; where they remained 4i, hours, enjoying a most sublime and extensive prospect, and making a variety of useful and interesting experiments. Here they observed the surrounding mountains, not in regular lines and con tinued ridges, as they appear when viewed from the plain ; but in the most irregular groups and insulated masses ; connected indeed at their bases, yet com pletely detached from each other, distinct in the forms, and separated at their summits. In this elevated sta tion, they experienced great difficulty of respiration, which was increased by the slightest exertion, by a stooping posture, and by the use of wine or brandy ; were kept in a state of continued fever; and torment ed with a burning thirst ; felt no appetite for food, no relish for strong liquors, no relief in any thing but in draughts of fresh water. About two o'clock in the afternoon they began to descend ; and arrived next morning, without any accident, at the valley of Cha mouni. On the 8th of August, a few days after Saussure's expedition, Mr Beaufoy, an English gen tleman, succeeded In 'a similar attempt ; but on ac count of the enlargement of the chasms in the ice, it was accomplished with greater difficulty. See Coxe's Travels in Switzerland, vol. 2. Saussure's Voyage's dans les Alpes, vol. 4.. Martyn's Sketch of a Tour through Switzerland, App. (q)