[ASCENT OF MONT BLANC]:

[ASCENT OF MONT BLANC]: A fascinating, lengthy A.L.S. by Dr. Edmund Clark, closely written over four pages, 4to, Chamonix, 27th August 1835, to Reverend Robert Warrener. Clark writes in the midst of his Grand Tour and provides a detailed account of his successful ascent of Mont Blanc, penned in the immediate aftermath of his remarkable feat, beginning by explaining ´I have postponed my letter in hope of meeting with something of greater interest to write about, nor perhaps should I have now commenced had I not lately succeeded in an excursion of some difficulty, an account of which may help to fill my sheet. Yesterday at 3pm I reached the summit of Mont Blanc, the greatest elevation in Europe with Captain Sherwill a young English officer. This forms the 12th successful ascent of Mont Blanc, of which 6 have been accomplished by English insects´ and continuing to offer an insight into the many places in Italy and Switzerland he had visited before the ascent, ´Having seen the lions at Paris, whisked off to salute the bears at Berne. Spent a halfpenny in feeding the big brown bear with ginger bread-nuts making him stand up & catch the projected fragments in their descent towards his monstrous gaping mouth´, mentioning a famous belle in Brienz regarded as the prettiest woman in Switzerland ( ´the say [she] has got a lout of a fellow for a husband that thrashes her, the scoundrel´), and the Chillon Castle ( ´saw Byron´s name cut by himself in the dreadful dungeon´), as well as stops at Milan (where Clark viewed a picture by Leonardo da Vinci), Verona, Padua, Venice ( ´fine gondola lounges, the most luxurious sort of locomotion under the sun´) as well as Florence where they ´Doffed our hats to the Venus de´Medici´ and also saw statues by Michelangelo, and Rome, writing ´Florence is a positively enchanting residence.....such I was in the good Pope´s dominions, a German baron & Swedish countess joined us [for] breakfast at the port before Rome.....In 3 hours we were at the gates of Rome. I entered it on foot & bare headed as is duty bound. Modern Rome is a dismal affair, but the old Ruins!´, before travelling to Naples ( ´through the horrid dens of cut-throats´) and to Pompeii, ´the most interesting of all objects in Italy. Scrambled up to the lofty top of Vesuvius. Such a view over the Isles of Capri´. Clark then offers an extensive report of his mountaineering exploits, ´...up the Brevent about 17,000 feet. Then a formidable day´s work up the Buel (?) a height of more than 10,000 feet. Here poor Mr. Eschen sunk into a chasm.....next morning he was found frozen to death......We looked down upon this fatal spot. I accompanied Dr. Benjamin Babington from India. It was one of the noblest views I ever saw. We were surrounded with a forest of snowy alpine peaks. Next to Mt. Blanc it is the highest accessible mountain in this part of the chain. Thursday Aug 25 with seven guides started for the top of the mountain king. It is two years since the last ascent & 5 since 3 guides were killed in an unsuccessful attempt. Ascended to the base of the Aiguille du Midi to breakfast then left Terra Firma & embarked on the dreary ocean of ice & snow. The ice is cut & creviced in such a manner that we had often half an hour´s work to advance 40 yards climbing up walls of ice by holes cut with a hatchet, or taking hold of the end of an ice pole to scramble up. We were fastened together with cords. In many places we walked over a thin slippery ledge with a deep blue chasm of 200 to 300 feet on each side.......We marched on the ice that day 7 hours & then arrived at an islet of bare rocks that rise up in the midst of the snows & are called Les Grands Mulets. Here we were dragged up a high precipice with the help of ropes & so reached the comfortable hotel. This hotel is a platform as big as an ironing table covered with snow. The snow we scraped away in some degree & then turned up the dry side of the stones (such is the unhappy tendency of man to luxurious indulgence). Lighted a fire. Manufactured some punch......Then stretched ourselves to sleep covered with a blanket & a sheet at a height much greater than the top of Skiddaw or Ben Nevis, and the thermometer at freezing. It was a lovely moon light night. No sound of insect or of bird, nothing but the awful roar of avalanches around & beneath us. 26th of August Friday, all dressed at 4 o´clock......then again embarked on the snows.......Stopped by a long crevice. Crossed it upon a bridge formed of 5 ice poles placed from edge to edge. Felt rather as if snuffing the candle with one´s finger. Then climbed up the opposite side by cutting holes with the axe. After this comfortable trudging in the snow but rather deep till the Petit Plateau, a place of snow covered with an avalanche. Crossed it & arrived at the Grand Plain. Height about 13,000 feet. Heat of the sun burning and blistering to the eyes & face......began to feel the effect of rarity of the air