202

THE ASCENT OF THE MATTERHORN.

CHAP. XI.

point was reached where the width of the chasm was not too greatfor us to drop across. Before we had done, we got quite accus-tomed to taking flying leaps over the schrunds. ... To make along story short; after a most desperate and exciting struggle, andas bad a piece of ice-work as it is possible to imagine, we emergedon to the upper plateau of the Hohlicht glacier.]

The glimpses which had been caught of the lower part of theIlohlicht glacier were discouraging, so it was now determined tocross over the ridge between it and the llothhorn glacier. Thiswas not done without great trouble. Again we rose to a heightexceeding 12,000 feet. Eventually we took to the track of thedespised Triftjoch, and descended by the well-known, hut rough,path which leads to that pass ; arriving at the Monte Rosa hotel atZermatt at 7.20 p.xr. We occupied nearly twelve hours of actualwalking in coming from the chalet on the Arpitetta Alp (whichwas 2k hours above Zinal), and we consequently found that theMorning pass was not the shortest route from Zinal to Zermatt,although it was the most direct.

Two dozen guides—good, bad, and indifferent; French, Swiss,and Italian—can commonly be seen sitting on the wall on the frontof the Monte Rosa hotel: waiting on their employers, and lookingfor employers; watching new arrivals, and speculating on thenumber of francs which may be extracted from their pockets. TheMessieurs —sometimes strangely and wonderfully dressed—standabout in groups, or lean back in chairs, or lounge on the bencheswhich are placed by. the door. They wear extraordinary hoots,and still more remarkable head-dresses. Their peeled, blistered,and swollen faces are worth studying. Some, by the exercise ofwatchfulness and unremitting care, have been fortunate enoughto acquire a fine raw sienna complexion. But most of them havenot been so happy. They have been scorched on rocks, and roastedon glaciers. Their cheeks—first puffed, then cracked—have exudeda turpentine-like matter, which has coursed down their faces, and