m
m
self with observing the beautiful green colour
of the ice, and, from time to time,
threw in stones, to hear the sound, as they
struck ao-ainst the sides of the chasm in
their descent. Desiring to observe their
fall, he fixed the point of a long pole (such
as travellers take with them on the glaciers)
on the other side of the chasm, and supporting
himself by it, he leaned over, to
look down, when the point of the pole
giving way, he was precipitated headlong
into the fissure and lost. The guide returned
in a state of stupor, and could
scarcely relate the circumstance, as he well
knew suspicion would be excited, that he
had robbed the young man, and thrown
his body into the chasm. An express was
sent to Iverdun, and some friends of the
deceased immediately came over and offered
a considerable reward for the recovery
of the body. Some of the guides
descended, by means of ropes, to the depth
of 130 feet, and one of the gentlemen
from Iverdun descended with them. He
first discovered the corpse of his friend.
The countenance, we were told, had the
ruddy appearance of life, but both the
thighs, and one arm, were broken, and the
head was much crushed by the fall. As
his watch and money were found in his
pockets, the guide was exculpated from all
blame.
With a Chamouny guide, such an accident
would probably not have taken place,
as they are remarkably circumspect, and
will not suffer travellers to expose themselves
to real danger, without remonstrat-
ing against it.
From Grindelwald there is a mule-road
on the north, leading over a mountain,
called the Sheideck, to Meyrengen, in the
valley of Hasli. This road lies under the
west side of the Wetterhorn and Wellborn,
and presents some astonishing views of
those mountains. Another road conducts
the traveller over the Wengen Alp, into
the valley of Lauterbrun. This passage,
sometimes called that of the Wengen Alp-
Scheideik, is stated to be 6840 feet above the
level of the sea. It is a day’s journey
o v e r; the road is little frequented, and in
some parts is trackless without a g u id e ; it
is occasionally difficult, and very rough.
We were five hours in ascending, including
an hour we rested at a cattle shed, in the
neighbourhood of a spring, and we were
N 3