The Ascent Of The Aeggischhorn

Hotel de Glaoicr de Rhone, ) Scpt. 27lh, 1864 ƒ The Aeggisch liorn is acoessible from Viesch, a villoge in the valley of tho Rlione. Two hours distance from its suramit, an eDtorprising host has established an hotel, aud, notwithstanding the difBoulties of tranuporting supplies up a steep mountain side, one has thore cvery accommodation of a oity house. Tho Aeggisoh hom stands in a position to comtnand a viow both far and near, and has beootue the resort of tliose of the traveling public who like a little romance - a little real mountain work - and are not satisfied ahvajs to tollow thü well beaten paths over the mountains. Ono meets in Switzerland threo kinds of voyagers : first, thoscj who are content vvith riding merel}' over some of tho easy passos of the Alps, (generally Americans) ; secondly, thoso who love to turn aside ánd cliinb such a mountain as the Aeggishhorn, (iimong wboin are a host of English ladies) ; and thirdly, the bold, hardy adventurera, like somo of the English Alpine-Club, who think t fun to master Mont Blanc, or stand upon some snowoapped summit heretofore unknown, or venture where the Swiss guide trembles to follow. As the most oí these hazardous ascents are made only for la gloire, (the views from other more accessible points being grander and more extensive), and as we were not then aspirants for Alpine Club honor, we put ourselves in tho secoud oategory of voyagers, and determined to asceisd the Aeggisehl.orn. WÈen we left the valley the sun was making its way now aud then between heavy and fast flying clouds. The moment aftcr a storm is alvvays the finest for mountain views, and heneo we set out when the weather was thus unsettledThe little foot-path conducted upward through thick pine forests, turning in zig zigs ever and anon. Every'hing went well enough at first, but when we had ascended for an hour and a half, and had reachcd several thousaud feet above the valluy, tlien a eolder atmosphere met us, we began tofeel the clouds which we had seen tnerely from below, wo became enveloped in one of those winding sheets, and found a storm of hail and tsnow our welcomers. We left, behind the forost and emerged upon the open mountain eide, wiiero no tree is hardy enough' to live. Then the storm was more aifficult to face ; we looked earnestly forward to catch a glimpse of the hotel - our hghthouse - and we feit how little security we had against som e sudden outbreak of nature. To a man accustomed to the plain, and baving the habitude of going iu when it rains, it is the least of romance to meet a wet, windy snow-storm upon a barren mountain side, when eaeh icy flake comes down with doublé force, and when the only consollng word is, "brave it out boys !" However, we pressed forward, uiuttenng olemnly and lugu. briously, ever and anon, "Excelsior," and half thinking that LoDgfullow had uevcr ílimbed a mountain when he wrote th;t ivord - when at length our ejes were jladdened with the sight of the hotel, íhieh wao a stimulant, indeed, to our wearied energies. We bood found ourselves as it were ia another world. The cold out-doors liad given placo to a warm in-doors ; au En glish library was at our service, and for company were several voyagers, waiting like ourselves for "a good time coming," to make the ascent. The rest of the day we wero as caged birds. Without was cold, snowy winter. A thick fog prevailed, and nothing could be soen but a boundless expanse of mist and hail. Ono witty follow had opeued tha voyager's book, and h:id paiuted well our condition tlius : " The world seems to-day a vaat cotton-balo, with us poor kuight-errauU in its centre I" How long was this to last ! For the next week or the next month? "ïill to-night," said the landlord ; "the weather will clear to-morrow, or my name is not Wisllio, and I know nothing of tha mountains." Of course we all believed Mr. Wiïllig, and none ventured to stake a fivo hundred franc note with hiiu upon the question. My party retired early that night, delermined to raake the asoent at good time in the morning if the elements were favorable. Toe following morning ivas beautiful. I Not a cloud appeared. The sua was reflocted upon the newfallen suow, and the mountains ibout were brülhintly attirod in their iiew winter suits. Wu were up aud off before the other voyagers, rlutermining to be the explorers ' that moniing. The little foot path Ieading upward was well nigh obscured by tho anow, and here and thcro we were oblued to guoss at our route. Ah ! that asccnt was difficult. "Nuw use your hands, boys; now upon your knees." "Look out fur your head," cries one, while the very moment auother bumps his cranium agaiust an unseen, projecting rock, which calis forth au anathema against that, "granito nuisance" from the bmnped individual. No bones broken however ; siroply an "oh !" un anathema, and a laugh, and "onward" is the word But not fast - it ia neces!ary to rest every few momsnts to eatoh breath, and prevent uttef exhaustion. At length, however, we stood upon the top, and we raised a merry cheer as our souls were stirred within u3 at the view. We were in the centre of a vast arnphithoatre of raountains, grandor than a hundred coliseuma. Everywhere were snow-eapped suinmits. Townrds the south-west were the giunt forras of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa with theirattendants. Then a range oí white unifornied mountains svvept to tho eastward to the St. Gotthard. Towards the north east the Galan-stock aud tho OLer-aarhorn stood masters of the position, while the glorious Bernese Alpa, near, and grand, oompleted the ampbitbeatre. Just beneathua the Aletsch glacier appeared, f'ed by the icy peaks of the Jungfrau, the Mond), and the Aletsch-horn. makiug its bed betweeu the peaks üf mountains, winding here and winding there - a great solid river of iey pinnacles - not fearing even the warmth of the valley below, but venturing afur evenamid cuHivation, and faeding the Khone with its debria. Long did we gaze upon ths, the largest ice river perhaps in the world, raeriting tho ti t le which a rival unjustly carries of Her de glacé. Thus, as has ofte been said, these eterna! anows of thu mouiilaius feed the rivera, and these rivera enrich tli? plaius of a cuütitieut. How nature ecoaomizes her forcys ! Upon the 'summit of the Aeggischhorn is a wooden cross, covored with Dames of the ad venturera who have mastered tho mountnin. I climbed up and put my own there - 9,000 foet above the sea. üsn't it something to "niakö your triark ?" Isn't it something to elévate ontj's name so high above thoso of ordinary humnuity ? Ho, ye orators that have filled the world with yonr fame, yo celebre that have wntten your names upon the great Four-Corners, mine is above yours ! It's tho highest on the cross that tops the Aeiigisoh-horn. Ah ! if il were as easy to write ones name in hiatory aa upon aa Alpiae cross, how many worlhies would ihe world know ! We rested an hour upon the summit. How could wo becouie sa'.iated with the feast of Nature ! Upon our way down we met now and theo the other voyagers nscending, many of whom were buxom English lasses, gay and blooming as the rose, eager to master mountain diffic.ulties, and boast of mountain triumphs. After a rest and a dejeimtr at the hotel, wo were deseending towards the valley once more. Tho valley of the Rhone is a picture. Tho sama river hastoüs thro-ugh it, skipping and dancing, that takes a bath in Lake Leman, hurr:es through Franco, and rolla at length majestically into the sea. The husbandmau makes the earth rospond to hs toil, and tho valley is dotted willi towns and villages. But the finest soene ia that of Mont Blanc, which seems tho great eastern gateway of the vale. I turned ever and tnon to calch a view of its bright fonn, whioh I havo woll uigh learucd to love. For have I not like Childe Harold seen " the hoar Glaciers of black Mout Ulano both far and near V' I havo seen this mountain from Ohaniouni, and stood in it3 very presence ; I havo seen it by moon light from the Deut d'Oches, glistening like a mouutai'n of silver; I huve seen it from tho Valley of Aosta, as I cntered Italy ; I have seen it from Miian, looking like the colonel oí a regiment of Alps ; I have seen it from the Aoggisoh-horn, brilliant in the morning suü ; and now, as I ascended tho valley of the Rhone the saine wluto, pure fnnn niet mine eyes' Is thero not souie rrsemblance betwoen thie monarch of the moiiDtains, ever the same, eternal, uno'Kineable creation of Nature, ar.d tho inoaarch of men, that noble, ürm, jusciee-doing, seif-conqu rDg man, wliom no storm of temptation moves, whoae bright churao'.er no crime blackons ? Tho Rhone ghtcier ia at tho head of the vallcy. It filis tho whole plain [ tweon tho raountaius. lts cxh'nmity s;ems like Üio great, exaggernted claw ot some of th.oss monsters that walked the earth in geologioal history. Ah it lies altnost ainid vegetation there is a contioual war botwoon the Seasons, os to who hall possess it. Tbe Öummsr brings forward bis general Sun, who vuakes sorao terrible ODslaughta opon the firni front of the glacier, and even causes him to bleed a river. But Winter brings forward her veteran Frost, who carricn , out the Fabián polie.y, and ucis tmly 011 tho defensive. He bi inga down a J mejt ()f snow f rom above, and strengthens the fo: tifioation tbat Sun's aitiilcry may have weakened Thus continu"1 ever tliia war of tho elementa. W 11 neitlier be victorious ? Will tbo glaoier j yield to the general Sun at one time, ai:d to the Veteran Frost at another, forever ? Alas I I fear it ia ioo true. The SeasoDa like men are bitter enemie?, .