rrtAP. x.

TUF. CHAIN OF MONT 11LANC.

IT!)

the most fertile portion, and Italy the steepest side. It has acquireda reputation which is not extraordinary, hut which is not whollymerited. It has neither the beauty of the Oberland, nor thesublimity of Dauphine. It attracts the vulgar by the pos-session of the highest summit in the Alps. If that is removed, theelevation of the chain is in nowise remarkable. In fact, exclu-ding Mont Blanc itself, the mountains of which the chain is madeup are less important than those of the Oberland and the centralPennine groups. The following table will afford a ready meansof comparison.* -

Metres.

Kng. feet f

1.

Mont Blanc

4810

= 15,781

2.

Grandes Jorasses .

4206

. 13,800

3.

Aiguille Verte

4127

. 13,540

4.

„ de Bionnassay

4061

. 13,324

5.

Les Droites

4030

13 222

6.

Aiguille du Geant.

4010

. 13J57

7.

„ de Trelatete, No. 11

3932

. 12,900

.. 2

3904

. 12,809

„ „. sj

3896

. 12,782

8.

,. d’Argentiere

3901

. 12.799

9.

., de Triolet

3879

. 12,726

10.

„ du Midi .

3843

. 12,608

11.

„ du Glacier

3834

. 12,579

12.

Mont Dolent

3830

. 12,560

13.

Aiguille du Cliardonnet

3823

. 12,543

14.

„ du Dru .

3815

. 12,517

15.

„ de Miage.

3680

. 12,074

16.

,. du Plan .

3673

. 12,051

17.

., de Blaitiere

3533

. 11,591

18.

., dea Charmoz

3442

. 11,293

The frontier-line follows the main

ridge.

Very little of it can

be seen from the Valley of Chamounix, and from the village itselftwo small strips only are visible (amounting to scarcely three miles

* The heights (in metres) are after Captain Micnlet.

t Some of these heights have no business to figure in a list of the principal peaksof the chain, being nothing more than teeth or pinnacles in ridges, or portions ofhigher mountains. Such, for example, are the Aiguilles du Ge'ant, du Dru, and drllionnassay.

N 2