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some most magnificent scenery, as well as primitive and very interesting inhabitants; but I do not think the district has been by any means so much explored as it deserves. After a short excursion amongst the mountains near the Gemmi, where I should have had capital sport if the weather had been favourable, I made my way to Chamouni, and there trained myself for more arduous enterprises by a few petites courses in the neighbourhood. I one day went to the Jardin," an elevated plateau so named, which is covered with a little herbage during three or four months of the summer, and is on all sides surrounded by bare rocks, or eternal ice. It takes about four hours and a half of fair steady walking to reach it from Chamouni; and as there is nothing that can be called danger in the excursion, it is well worth while to make it, both for the splendid views it affords of Mont Blanc and the neighbouring Aiguilles, and also for the excellent opportunity it presents of tracing the origin, progress, and termination of glaciers.

The next day I mounted the Brevent, from which is the best view of the chain of Mont Blanc to the North, as that from the Cramont is the best to the South. An additional interest was given to it that day from its having been chosen by two English gentlemen (Dr. E. Clarke and Captain M. Sherwill) to attempt the ascent of the mountain monarch. I had seen them start from Chamouni at seven o'clock; and from the summit of the Brevent watched them for hours through my telescope, until they reached the Grand Mulet, where they were to pass the night. The next morning I followed them with my glass till they arrived at the top, except for about an hour and a half that

they were invisible to us in the plain, while traversing the Grand Plateau. So nearly is the real summit seen from Chamouni, that when they were walking backwards and forwards on it, we could just distinguish their hats. After watching their descent, I set out in the afternoon on my tour of Mont Blanc; and this time, alas! was condemned to be companionless.

I passed by the Col de la Forclaz to a clean little inn, kept by a Frenchwoman, outside the town of St. Gervais, and about a quarter of an hour from the Baths. Next morning I called upon two chasseurs, that lived in a hamlet about an hour from the inn. Their names were Jacquet; one, Dit le Gristhe other, Massime. Being much pleased with their manner, I immediately arranged a chasse with them. The younger was dispatched to Contamines to purchase the necessary provisions, while the elder accompanied me in a long circuit through the mountains, where we were disappointed in our expectation of meeting with chamois, and towards nightfall arrived at a very elevated collection of chalets, called, I believe, Armansatt. There I supped and slept. My humble couch was nothing but a sheet thrown over some clean hay, in the only room of the cottage, which served for eating-room and sleeping-room to the guides and the family, as well as to myself; but seldom have I slept more soundly, or been more unaffectedly pleased with the manners of my companions, and their good-humoured alacrity to do everything in their power for my accommodation.

The next morning, long before the sun had given the slightest hint of his waking, we were en marche. Le Gris was sent round by a distant and very difficult

pass, while Massime and I scrambled through some very likely ground, but only saw one chamois, at which we could not get a shot. Le Gris saw six, and wounded one, which however escaped. After joining forces, we traversed a long line of most chamois-looking country, without success: till at last, when we were almost beginning to despair, we, to our great joy, discovered a herd of about twenty, feeding near the head of a glacier. glacier. They were awkwardly placed, and in the wildest spot imaginable. However, after a good deal of manœuvring, being favoured by a drizzling rain that partly concealed us, I succeeded in getting a shot at about eighty yards. The instant the smoke cleared away, to my unspeakable delight I saw the animal floundering on its back with its quatre pattes en air. It is quite impossible not only for me to describe, but for any one even to imagine, my unutterable ecstasy at that moment. I much fear I may have been guilty of some fooleries on the occasion. The two Jacquets meanwhile got shots at the frightened chamois, that were jumping all round us, but missed. My prize turned out to be a doe, and weighed 35lbs. after being gutted. We washed it at the glacier, which we followed into the valley. They called it Trelo le Grand, and it is one of the finest I have seen, both for depth of snow, variety of fracture, height and colour of its icy pyramids. The evening was bad, and the accommodations at Nant Bourrat wretched; but my success made me despise any such trifling considerations. The next morning I walked over the mountains to the chalets of Motet, and got one very long shot at a chamois, which I missed by less than an inch. I will not detail any of my other adventures in that neigh

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bourhood; but before I take leave of guides, would beg to recommend most warmly the Jacquets to any one who wishes to partake in this sport. I feel confident that they may be depended on for honesty, civility, alacrity, and bonne foi; they are excellent chasseurs, and most goodhumoured and intelligent companions. Moreover, they speak good French, which very few of the Jägers do; and their hunting country being so near Chamouni, may be reached without difficulty.

The next spot to which I shall conduct my reader is the vale of Macugnaga, on the Italian side of Monte Rosa, celebrated for its mines and the beauty of its women, but esteemed by me for the splendour of its scenery and the number of chamois in its mountains. I lodged for four or five days in the vile cabaret, kept by the hunch-backed, dirty little fellow, named Gaspar Verra. I engaged one Martinal, the best chasseur of the country, who, for an Italian, turned out a better sportsman than I had expected. He was, however, too much given to boasting, and wanted to persuade me he had killed 3160 chamois and 2000 marmots, besides I know not how many eagles. This is a palpable exaggeration, I believe. There are few places that abound more in chamois than this. The first day was unfavourable, and the next morning was so doubtful, that we could not start early; but whilst we were deliberating in the inn yard, we with our telescopes discovered a herd feeding in a favourite spot, about an hour's walk above us. This was, of course, enough to determine us, and about twelve o'clock we set out after them. They were so placed, that we found it impossible to get a good shot. I fired twice, but at great distances.

We

Martinal would not shoot. then separated, to return home by different routes. I had not left the place half an hour when, upon looking back, to my great astonishment, I saw four chamois come upon identically the same spot, which, as I have said, was a favourite feeding ground. I immediately got back to my old post, but found the same difficulty in approaching them. I got a long shot, which I have every reason to believe I hit, as the chamois (a young one) left its mother and the rest, and came limping towards me. I got a second long shot, which, I think, killed it; but there were so many bushes and crevices amongst the rocks, that I could not find it. Therefore, hearing the Ave-Maria, and knowing I had a long way to go through a pathless wood, I was reluctantly obliged to give up the search. The next morning we were off, long before sunrise, to some mountains adjoining the Ichain of Monte Rosa. We saw several chamois, but got no shots at them, owing, in my opinion, to the unskilfulness of my companion. At last we discovered three reposing upon a ledge on the northern face of a very lofty and most inaccessible rock. Martinal and I posted ourselves in almost the only pass, and then directed my guide to show himself on the opposite side.

that lay in their path, I kept my aim upon the spot, assured that the third would do the same. The instant he appeared and looked round I fired, and hit him very near the heart. He made an effort to follow the others, but feeling himself unable, stopped and began to crawl slowly along a ledge of rock. As he was going into a very dangerous place, where we should have had great difficulty in getting him, I mounted, out of his sight, to within fifty yards of him, and brought him down by a second shot. I then went to fetch him, and think I never was in such danger. The place where he lay was a broken and very precipitous crag, covered with icicles formed by the dripping from the snow above, which melted in the sun, and became congealed in the shade below; but what caused my chief danger was that, from excessive delight, every nerve and fibre of my frame trembled to such a degree, that I scarcely could keep my footing. I kept gaily rolling my prize before me, down a watercourse, until at last he rolled farther than I intended, and went over a precipice two or three hundred feet high, which by no means improved his appearance. Independent of my sport, I enjoyed some splendid views of Monte Rosa, &c.; but must confess that, after all, I am somewhat disappointed with this queen of mountains, when viewed close. Her fame, and perhaps the name, together with the royal show she makes from the Duomo at Milan, or the chain of the Gemmi, had raised expectations which, now that I have seen her quite closo on all sides, a nearer approach has not altogether realized.

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numbers in this neighbourhood. I may here mention that those which have been killed here have always been found unusually large and savage, and in several instances have commenced the attack without being previously molested. After beating a nullah for some time without success, he was suddenly attacked by an enormous bear, which rushed from a thick patch of jungle a few paces from him.

He had just time to raise his rifle and to fire, before the bear was aboard of him: he missed, the beaters bolted, and the only resistance he could make was to charge with the muzzle of his rifle against the bear's breast as he reared at him. This he did with so much force as to wrench up the elevation rib from the barrels (it was a seven-barrelled rifle), and a quantity of the animal's hair was afterwards found sticking to it. The

bear directly seized him by the arm and he was left without bottleholder or second to mill a brute, who was not likely to fight fair, at least according to the rules of modern pugilism.

The major is a man of immense strength, and hits with the impetus of a sledge-hammer: with one