enveloped him. Cut off from his companions, he was obliged to pass the
night at the immense elevation of twelve thousand feet above the level
of the sea. Chilled, but not overcome, he had strength sufficient in
the morning to reconnoitre, and thereby found an access to the
mountain-top comparatively easy. On reaching Chamouni, he was seized
with severe illness, and in return for the kind care of his physician,
he told the doctor of the path he had discovered, and that if he felt
a desire to be the first man to stand upon the summit of Mont Blanc,
he would lead him to it. The doctor readily accepted, and on the
seventh of August, 1786, they began the ascent. Twice the physician,
overcome by fatigue and cold, turned his back upon the goal; but the
guide, more accustomed to hardships, urged him on, and at length he
was privileged to set his foot upon the loftiest elevation in Europe,
a triumph never before enjoyed by man.




From Berne To Basle.


Before leaving Lausanne I received an invitation from a friend in the
university at Basle to visit that city. To do this, we had to pass
Berne. The approach to this place is very pleasing: the country is
beautifully undulating, and in the highest state of cultivation. The
neighborhood indicated by its noise and bustle that we were
approaching a capital, and as we entered the city we found the streets
crowded with people in their gayest attire, and filled with corn and
cattle, and almost every article of commerce, it being market day. It
is a magnificent city. The houses are all built of stone, with arcades