Miscellaneous.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 180, 9 December 1868, Page 3

Miscellaneous.

One day recently, at ten minutes to five o'clock, a dark cloud overshadowed the valley of Chamounix, a peal of thunder was beard, and then a continuous roar, causing every eye to strain itself in the direction of the Aiguille de Blaitiere. Presently a puff of smoke, as it so appeared on the crest of the mountain that supports the Glacier des Pelerins, raised the cry that the glacier had burst, bringing with it part of the moraine that had kept it within bounds. The peasants of the valley were rushing to and fro, driving their cattle into safe quarters, and then all eyes were watching one of the most glorious sights the visitor to Chamounix could desire to see. The avalanche every moment added fuel to its course, tossing up clouds of spray, bringing with it pine trees, huge boulders, rude bridges, and deserted chalets, until it reached the pretty cascade Dv Dard, when the noise was most deafening. The falling mass here, filling the gully and gaining speed at every exertion, left the course the stream usually taken, and tearing down pipe trees, opened an immense track and overflowed the meadows and gardens of the Hotel Royal, destroying whole fields of barley and potatoes, and, after spending its fury for twenty minutes on meadows and peasant land, the muddy mass formed itself into a large lake. The Swiss journals narrate a terrible story of which the Lake of Geneva was the scene on Saturday night October 3. About two o'clock in the afternoon M. Andre Derivaz (formerly mayor of St Gingolph, set out from Vevey in a small boat|to return to that place, being accompanied by his son. A fearful wind sprang up about three o'clock. The boat was upset, and the party were thrown into the water. But they had enough strength and energy to cling to the boat, and to right it. They were even enabled to place the mast across it, so as in some degree to steady it; but having been deprived of their oars, which had disappeared when the boat was overturned, they had no other resource than that of holding on to the boat to avoid being washed away by the waves. Being in water up to the waist, they left themselves to their fate. One instant they hoped to be cast ashore near Noville, but a terrible south wind immediately carried them out to the middle of the lake where they were Jdriven about during the rest of the day and the whole of the succeeding night. Towards evening some boatmen from Vevey told two relatives of the sufferers that they had set out from that town, and that if they had not got ashore they must be in great peril. Efforts were made as quickly as possible to send a boat in search of them, but the violence of the wind prevented this. A lantern was then exhibited on the shore. The light, as it afterwards turned out, was seen by the wanderers, but they were overcome with fatigue and cold, and their limbs were incapable of any exertion. Towards midnight the father told his son that his strength was failing, and that he felt himself to be dying. He bade him farewell, gave him some messages for his family, and then expired in his arms, being sixty-five years old. The son, whose age was twenty-two, was then left in the midst of tlie waves with his father's corpse in his arms. Four or five hours more thus passed away. Between four and five in the morning, da) break having arrived, the survivor recognised the baths of Montreux. His cries of distress were then heard and he was speedily rescued.

J Ritche