18G2] THE MATTERHORN—SECOND ASSAULT. 163

flagstaff a hacked and extremely acute ridge ran,and abutted against the final precipice. Along thiswe moved cautiously, while the face of the precipicecame clearer and clearer into view. The ridge onwhich we stood ran right against it; it was the onlymeans of approach, while ghastly abysses fell oneither side. We sat down, and inspected the place;no glass was needed, it was so near. Three out ofthe four men muttered almost simultaneously, ‘ It isimpossible.’ Bennen was the only man of the fourwho did not utter the word. A jagged stretch ofthe ridge still separated us from the precipice. Ipointed to a spot at some distance from the placewhere we sat, and asked the three doubters whetherthat point might not be reached without muchdanger. ‘ We think so,’ was the reply. ‘ Then letus go there.’ We reached the place, and sat downthere. The men again muttered despairingly, andat length they said distinctly, ‘ We must give it up.’I by no means wished to put on pressure, but direct-ing their attention to a point at the base of theprecipice, I asked them whether they could notreach that point without much risk. The replywas, ‘ Yes.’ ‘ Then,’ I said, ‘ let us go there.’ Wemoved cautiously along, and reached the pointaimed at. The ridge was here split by a deep cleftwhich separated it from the final precipice. Sosavage a spot I had never seen, and I sat down