AN ADVENTURE IN THE GLACIERS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1965, 3 November 1863, Page 4

AN ADVENTURE IN THE GLACIERS.

We were soon beside a wide and jag^el cleft, which resembled a kind of cave more than an ordinary fissure. This cleft bad been spanned by a snow bridge, now broken, and up to tlio edge of which human footsteps could be traced. The glacier here was considerably torn, but simple patieuce was the only thmg needed to unravel rts complexity. This quality our porter lacked, and, hoping to make shorter work of it, he attempted to cross this bridge. It gave way, and he went down, carrying; an immense load of debris along with him. We looked into tho hole, at one end of which the vision was cut short by darkness, while immediately under the broken arch it was crammed with snow and shattered icicles. We saw nothing more. We listened with strained attention, aud from the depths of the glacier a low moan seemed to issue. Its repetition assured us that it was no delusion— the man was still alive. A first-rate rope accompanied the party, but, unhappily, it was with the man in the crevasse. " Take off coats, waistcoats, and braces-" They were instantly taken off and knotted together. We watched B. while this work was going on; his hands trembled with excitement, and his _ knots were evidently insecure. The last junction complete, he exclaimed, " Now let mo down ! " Not until each of these knots has been tested; not an inch ! Two of them gave way, and L.'s waistcoat also proved too tender for the strain. The debris was about forty feet from tho surface of the glacier, but two prominences afforded a kind of footing. B. was dropped down to one of these ; T. followed, being let down by L. ; he could nofc trust the porter overhead. B. then descended, the remaining distance, and was duly followed by T. More could noc find room. The shape and size of the cavity were such as^ to produce a kind of resonance, which rendered" it difficult to strike the precise spot from whence the sound issued. But the moaning continued, becoming to all appearance gradually feebler. Fearing to wound the man, the debris was cautiously rooted away ; it rang curiously as it fell into the adjacent gloom. A layer, two or three feet thick, was thus removed; and finally, from the frozen mass, and so bloodless as to be almost as while as the surrounding snow, issued a single hand. The fingers moved. Bound it we rooted, and soon reached tho knapsack, which we cut away. With it we regained our rope. The man's head was laid bare, and our brandy flask was immediately at his lips. He tried to speak, but was inarticulate, his words jumbling themselves to a dull moan. The arms once free, we passed the rope underneath them, and sought to draw the mau out. But the ice fragments round^ him had recclaled so as to form a solid case. Thrice we essayed to draw him up, thrice we failed ; he had literally to be hewn out of the ice, and not until his last foot was extracatcd wore we able to lift him. L. and the porter pulled above, and we pushing him below, the man was raised to the light of 'day. L. then drew hit, friend out of the pit, and B. followed. For an hour we had beeu in the crevasses in shirt sleeves— the porter had been in it for two hours— and the dripping ice had drenched us. The rescued man was helpless, unable to stand, unable to utter an articulate sentence. We got him to the side of the glacier, and here B. took him on his back ; in ten minutes he sank under his load. L, carried 'a miscellaneous burden. It was now our turn with the man, tli en again B.s, and thus helping each other we reached the mountain grot. Ihe sun had set, and the crown of the Jnngfrau was imbedded in amber light. Thinking that the Margeling See might be reached before darkness, we proposed starting in search of help. Tho good B. would nofc listen to it, and Ls eye slightly glistened. It is surprising how such an occasion brings out a man's feeling. "God bless you, L., and now for the glacier. But the anxiety to get quickly clear of the crevasses defeated its own object. Thrice we found ourselves in difficulty and the light was visibly deparfcinn-. The conviction deepened that persistence would be folly, and tho most impressive moment of our experience was that on which we stopped at the brink of a profound Jlssuro and looked upon the mountains and. tho tky. The serenity was perfect— not a cloud, nor a breese, nor a sound, while over tho solemn west spread the last hues ot sunset. We returned ; warm wine was given to our patient, and all our dry clothes were wrapt around him. Hot water bottles were placed at his feet, and his back briskly rubbed. He continued to groan a long timo, but nnally both this and the trembling ceased. Ihoanxioui watcher B. muttered, " Ho is dead '_ Wo leaned over his face and found him breathing gently ; we felt his pulse— i* was tranquilly beating. " Not dead, dear old B. ; he will be able to crawl homo with us in the morning." The prediction was justified by the event, and two days afterwards we saw him at Laax, minus a bit ot ms ear, with a bruise upon his cheek, and a lew scars upon his hand, but without a broken bone or serious injury of any kind.— Saturday #<?• view.

The Soft Answeu.— As I walked the sheets of the great City to-day, I was reminded of the Scripture, " A soft answer turneth away wrath, out grievous words stir up anger." A boy, just in advanco of mo, having torn some little document into numberless parts, upon the spur of the moment threw them at a working man, a< he advanced m an opposite direction. Glancing at himself as covered with the dropping white paper shreds, instead of bursting ont into a fit of fiery indignation, he looked at the lad, and good natmedly exclaimed, " Bravo ! " Whilst lam not going to justify the thoughtless freedom of the boy in <iues>tio!i, T could not but think how much vexed feeling, and perhaps oven worse, this kiudhearted man. had eavea himself,— Old Jonathan.