feet in thickness; in the chamber itself there is no considerable portion of any pillar standing, and it was not without some difficulty that we were enabled to trace a single row of twenty-four columns, exactly resembling those in the first chamber, which has surrounded it within a few feet of the wall; their fragments are scattered about in every direction, and the very bases of some are rooted up, and the mud foundation on which they have stood is exposed. So entire, yet so partial, a ruin, can only be attributed to the sudden yielding of that foundation; an earthquake would not have spared the columns which still remain in the other parts of the temple.

"The middle of the chamber is low and hollow, and a very large stone is lying in one part of it, which might, at first sight, be mistaken for a part of the foundation of a wall. On the posterior wall, and near the entrance into the adytum, lies a sculptured stone, about ten feet long; a hawk, an owl, and an ox, with other hieroglyphical figures are represented on it, of unusual size, but in low relief.

"It is difficult to ascertain the dimensions of the adytum, as no part of the side walls can be traced, and only a few feet of the posterior one; it has, however, clearly contained twelve pillars and not more, and of these three are still entire (except the capital of one), and about a half of a fourth; the rest have fallen chiefly towards the Nile, before their enemy, the desert, and one of them is now so much inclined in the same direction, that he must shortly be laid with his brethren. They are of a different model from those in the first chamber, but not of a new or

uncommon one; they are five feet eleven inches in diameter, and the distance between the two rows on the left is six feet two inches, and between the two middlemost of the four rows nine feet six inches. The length of the chamber appears to be thirty-seven feet. The lower parts of all the columns bear representations of figures about three feet high, of which the lower half is concealed by a tablet inscribed with hieroglyphics. I copied some of them, as I had before copied some similar at Sasef; they are in low relief, but executed in the very best style, as are all the sculptures remaining on the temple, though in some places they have never been finished. Jupiter Ammon appears twice among the few remaining figures, and to him I suppose the building to have been dedicated; part of a Mendes, with the flail and lotus, is distinguishable on a fragment.

"On the western side of a pillar we observed some marks, evidently artificial, and in characters unknown to us, though most resembling Greek. I copied them twice, in two situations of the sun, and, as I believe, with the greatest accuracy. I have shown them to three or four men of learning, who have not recognized them; however, I feel it my duty to make them public, in the hope that they may at length meet some eye, to which they are not strange. It is the only ancient inscription in any language that we have been fortunate enough to observe during our expedition; though we have neglected the examination of no spot, where such a discovery might probably have been made.

"The temple of Soleb affords the lightest specimen I have seen, of Ethiopian or Egyptian archi

tecture. The sandstone of which most of the columns are composed is beautifully streaked with red, which gives them, from a little distance, a rich and glowing tint. The side and posterior walls have almost entirely disappeared; and the roof (for the adytum has been completely covered), has every where fallen in, so that there remains no ponderous heap of masonry to destroy the effect of eleven beautiful and lofty columns, backed by the mountains of the desert, or by the clear blue horizon. We were no longer contemplating a gloomy edifice, where heaviness is substituted for dignity, height for sublimity, and size for grandeur; no longer measuring a pyramidal mass of stone-work, climbing up to heaven in defiance of taste and of nature. We seemed to be at Segesta, at Phigalea, or at Sunium; where lightness, and colour, and elegance of proportion, contrasted with the gigantic scenery about

them, make the beauty of the buildings more lovely, and their durability more wonderful; there is no attempt in them to imitate or rival the sublimity that surrounds them-they are content to be the masterpieces of art, and therefore they and nature live on good terms together, and set off each other's beauty. Those works of art that aim at more than this, after exhausting treasuries, and costing the life and happiness of millions, must be satisfied at last to be called hillocks."

At Sóleb the travellers were deserted by their guides, and for seven days had to find out their own route. On the 1st of February they arrived at Wady Halfa, regretting the termination of their labours rather than rejoicing at it. Their expedition

had occupied 83 days; of which 34 were spent in the journey upwards, 10 in and about the camp of Ismael, and 39 in returning.

no moon, so that we provided ourselves with a lantern. As the night was dark, and our path wandered over rugged ground, and through a pine-forest, we proceeded but slowly. After an hour's march along the valley, we com menced our ascent, to the east of the glacier de Bossons. About midnight we reached the cottage of old Favret-one of the guides of Saussure, and father of Pierre Favret, by whom I was accompa nied. We procured of him a few thin pieces of wood to serve as

the bed, on which we were to re

pose at night, and then departed. When we arrived half-way to the place where we had to enter upon the glaciers, I obtained possession of the sack of Pierre Favret, whose lot it was to carry the lantern, so that I enabled him to proceed more speedily, and inspired my guides with a confidence in my strength, which encouraged them to their greatest exertions.

We had now to ascend the steepest heights of the mountain, and were soon upon a narrow path, strewed with loose stones, and winding along the side of a precipitous declivity, which shelved down, upon our right, in one plane of smooth rock, to the depth of 1,000 or 1,500 feet. At half past three in the morning, we arrived near the base of the Aiguille du Midi, and were as near the glacier de Bossons as our safety permitted. I now returned the sack to Favret, and we all lay down near a large fragment of rock, which shielded us from the masses of ice, stone, or snow, which might accidentally have rolled from the cliffs above. The guides soon fell asleep; but I watched the slow advance of twilight, disclosing the strange pros pect.

At four, the guides were summoned to depart; and as we had now to enter on the glaciers, I wore my spiked shoes, and the guides tied on their crampons. They had left behind the ladder, which was usually brought for crossing the crevasses, having been informed that the glaciers were unusually favourable to our passage. For some distance we travelled along the foot of the Aiguille, from which frequently roll masses of snow, ice, and rock; a danger which was now little to

be feared, as the frost, which always occurs at these heights, had not yet been resolved by the heat of the day.

We now arrived upon a long plain of ice, intersected with crevasses, which ran in parallel directions, and at right angles with the straight line of ascent. These chasms were seldom more than ten feet wide: but varied considerably in their depths, which are generally proportioned to those of the ice; the depths of the ice varying as the irregularity of the surface over which it runs. The crevasses are supposed to be, in some places, several hundred feet deep; and their sides generally assumed the light blue tints of the sky. From the glaciers which we now traversed, two other glaciers, called Bossons and Tacconay, descend in two distinct channels into the valley, but being thawed by the heat of the earth, and the warmth of the lower strata of air, they are dissolved generally in proportion to their advance. The width of that part of the vast field of ice, which was seen from our line of ascent, is perhaps half a mile; the whole length of the field is about two miles; and where it approaches the line of perpetual congelation, or separates into the channels running into the valley, the masses of ice are worked into the most strange and irregular forms.

Fronting us, rose the summit of Mont Blanc, more than 7,000 feet above the height upon which we stood; while on our left, a range of numerous Aiguilles soared above us more than 4,000 feet, stretching eastward from below the summit, with outlines mellowed into aerial softness. Sometimes they presented fissured de

snow.

clivities, clothed with glittering mantles of ice; and sometimes clusters of sun-gilt spires, pinnacled on roofs sparkling with our right, and of about the same height with the Aiguilles, rose the white Dôme du Gouté, which derives its name from its form, and is joined to the western shoulder of the summit by a rising narrow ridge. Nearly in the midst of the snowy vale, between the Dôme and the Aiguilles, was seen a line of rocks, called the Grands Mûlets; the nearest and highest of which is elevated about 300 feet above its surrounding glaciers. This vale rose at an angle of 30°, and was crossed by three successive plateaus, elevated one above the other, at right angles with our line of the highest, which is also the largest, is called the Grand Plateau ; from which abruptly rises the summit of Mont Blanc to an elevation of about 3,000 feet; appearing, at a distance, inaccessible.

ascent:

We were now advancing to the rocks of the Grands Mûlets. Our progress was obstructed by crevasses; so that in general we had either to wind along their sides till we came to one of their extremities, or to leap their narrowest widths. The most terrific manner of passing them was by a descent into the chasm, some feet below the brink of the opening; then by landing upon a narrow ridge in its middle, whence we had to climb the opposite side; which each of us effected without ropes or assistance. As we approached the line of congelation, we passed through labyrinths of most irregular masses. Our path was here seldom seen more than a few yards before us, and sometimes appeared to be

suddenly lost; leaving us locked up, as it were, in chambers of ice and congealed snow. One or two of the guides, mounting the most elevated pinnacles, explored the direction of our road; while the rest of the party awaited their call. The most perilous office of the guides is, to make these surveys; it requires men of the greatest expertness and intrepidity; and Marie Coutet was possessed, in these respects, of marked pre

eminence.

On our arrival near the Grands Mûlets, we found it necessary to climb almost their whole height; as the irregular masses of snow and ice, on our right, were impassable. These rocks are very precipitous, and, in climbing them, we had generally to tread on loose stones. As soon as we approached their summit, we had to cut in the ice a path, leading horizontally along their sides to the distance of about thirty paces. A smooth broad sheet of ice covered the whole of the declivity (which was at an angle of 45°); while far below us, at its foot, were huge masses of ice and snow, worked into the most capricious and terrific forms.

At half-past seven, we arrived at the usual place of rest, without having required the use of ropes or other assistance; a circumstance which inspired us with confidence in our ultimate success. We now sat down to partake of a hearty breakfast, when we beheld several avalanches, some near us, and some in the distance, falling like cataracts down the rugged rocks of the mountain. The thermometer in the sun was at 70°, and the state of the weather excited the liveliest hopes of success. At mine, the guides arranged for our de

parture: we all put on our veils, as a protection from the heat and light; at the same time taking as plentiful a supply of water from the rocks, as our means afforded. We had now to traverse the regions of eternal snow, and as this part of our journey was more dangerous than crossing the glaciers, we were secured, in pairs, by ropes; eight or nine feet of rope being left between each forming the pair; and I chose for my fellow the guide, that appeared the strongest. Though we had to pass but few visible crevasses, yet many were concealed by the snows, and we therefore followed in the steps imprinted by the leading guide.

We travelled in the straightest possible line of ascent; our path leading sometimes among rude piles of snow, many of which we scaled, though at an angle of 50°. The crevasses, we here saw, were often of greater width than those of the glaciers; some of them opening twenty feet wide, though they were seldom of great depth. Their sides appeared of a light blue tint, and were sometimes hung with pendant and dripping icicles; presenting the most splendid spectacle.

As the day advanced, we heard many avalanches fall from the rocks; the heat was oppressive; our thirst rapidly increased; and our stock of water was exhausted. I therefore proposed bottling the snow; expecting it to thaw by the sun or the heat of the body, an expedient which afforded us many a hearty draught. Some of the guides mixed wine, and some vinegar, with snow; the latter being a cooling and agreeable beverage; others found great relief from dissolving loaf sugar in

their mouth; but, with regard to myself, I generally used lemons, and partook abundantly of raisins, which proved a good substitute for other food. Our thirst now became excessive; and if we had not satisfied it, effects might have been experienced worse than those occasioned by taking the snow. Our faces suffered from the heat of the sun, as well as the powerful reflection of light; but to relieve us from these unpleasant effects, I had provided myself with a preparation of cold cream, of which the guides gladly partook. Soon after we left the Grands Mûlets, my fellow guide detached himself from me, on account of his great exhaustion. I was, therefore, secured between two others, and was surprised that I felt so little fatigue; but the cold surface we trod prevented those inflammatory effects in the legs, which are experienced when walking upon common ground. Another guide, from exhaustion, soon fell into the rear; and as we approached the Grand Plateau, all, except Favret and myself, were severely affected with lassitude and difficulty of breathing, which they ascribed to the rarity of the air. Rest was

their only means of relief; and this soon restored them. We reached the Grand Plateau at two o'clock.

From the heights of the mountain, which precipitately rise above this Plateau, immense avalanches often descend; and we had to effect a passage directly under the summit, whose sides threatened to roll down the impending masses, with which they were burthened. A rapid progress is here the best means of safety.

Being now released from the ropes, since there were no more