close to these frozen masses. I have stood upon the Moraine, and gathered ripe strawberries, and arbutus berries, the blossoms of the Rhododendron ferruginum, Soldanella alpina, and many others: neither can I express the delight of watching the fast-melting snow, and the magical appearance of the early crocus, the vernal gentian, etc., apparently bursting into life and beauty at one vigorous shoot. As we retraced our steps to Chamounix, we were joined by Pierre Balmat, one of the oldest guides in the valley, who described his first essay in that capacity, when he conducted the celebrated naturalist Monsieur Bourit to the Plan de l'Aiguille. He was then fourteen years of age, the only son of a widowed mother, who was obliged to take his place, herding their small flock of goats ere he could attend upon the stranger. He also said he well remembered the day, although then a very young boy, when two English gentlemen arrived at Chamounix, (then called Le Prieuré), accompanied by a servant, and five horses carrying tents and provisions, and armed with pistols, and other weapons of defence, as if they were come among savages. They pitched their tents upon the small uncultivated piece of ground near the church; when Monsieur le Curé, hearing of the extraordinary event, hastened to welcome the strangers, offering rooms in his house, and assuring them they need be under no apprehensions for their safety. The offer was graciously accepted, and though old Pierre had forgotten their names, it appeared these travellers were our countrymen, Messrs. Pocock and Wyndham, to whose intrepidity in exploring Les Montagnes Maudites, (as they were then called), we are indebted for the discovery of the valley of Chamounix in the year 1741. I cannot close this extract from my old journal without adding one more souvenir of those days of travel, in the form of one of the endless and singular effusions from the goosequill of a wanderer like myself, and which at that time appeared a recent entry in "Le livre des Voyageurs à l'Hotel de l'Union" at the Priory: "In questa casa troverete, Toutes les choses que vous souhaitez, Panum, vinum, lectum, carnes, Coaches, chaises, mules and harness." And immediately following the above, ano ther pen had traced: Cet hotel s'appelle l'Union parcequ'il réunit, Guter wein, pour les Allemands, Buon letto, pour les Italiens, English comfort, pour les Anglais, Potage et politesse, pour les Francais. THE OAK. As the forest is shaken by autumn's drear blast, And the leaves on our path-way are carelessly cast, As the oak stands despoil'd of her foliage of green, Yet mournfully telling the summer has been: So the winds of adversity beat o'er this world: From their throne in man's bosom its pleasures are hurl'd; Like the oak when the glory of summer is gone, His harvest is past, yet his rest is not won. Yet that oak sheds its seed, and it falls to the earth, To the king of the forest that atom gives birth; It spreads forth its branches, the summer winds play, And the singing birds dwell in its branches all day. 2 |