bigot who stands on his feet during sit and pray! Certainly we have

ATTEMPT TO REACH THE SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC, In Switzerland.

We reached St. Martin, the place for which we had engaged our caleche, at one o'clock in the morning of the 17th, and having engaged for two sharabands for the journey through the valley, we arrived at Chamounix at two o'clock in the afternoon. From a balcony of the house where we slept, we had the first distinct view of Mont Blanc, and Dr. Hamel pointed out to us the formidable Aiguille de Gouto, which he had lately succeeded in scaling. H. and myself set off from St. Martin on foot through the valley, being desirous of preparing ourselves for the fatigues of the following day. We walked nearly seven miles before we were overtaken by our party with the sharabands, and took the opportunity of visiting a beautiful fall of water at a short distance on our left, which amply repaid us for the fatigue which it occasioned. From this spot the road becomes the most romantic that can be conceived; and when our companions overtook us, they found us reposing on the green margin of a small transparent lake, surrounded by a group of beautiful peasant girls and boys, who were pressing upon us breakers of a most delicious water, drawn from a fountain at a short distance.

The following is a narrative of route, being the same which Sausthe attempt of another traveller to sure attempted in 1785, with no attain the summit of Mont Blanc. better success. It is given in his own language. "About the middle of last August, I arrived at Geneva, accompanied by my friend H, of Brazen-nose, whom I had fallen in with at Berne, and who was, like myself, devoting a part of the long vacation to a continental tour. I had, from leaving England, set my heart upon ascending Mont Blanc, and found no difficulty in prevailing upon my companion, who had already made the tour of the greater part of Switzerland, to accompany me. Having called on a gentleman at Geneva, to whom I had an introduction, with a view of making the necessary inquiries, I learnt from him that a small party were then on the point of setting out with the same intention. I lost no time in finding them out, and proposed to share in their undertaking; and the following afternoon, August 16, we set out together, in a hired caleche, for the valley of Chamounix. Our party consisted of four persons. Our new acquaintances were Le Chevalier Hamel, a Russian, then employed by the emperor in making some philosophical observations in the neighbourhood; and M. Sellique, an optician of Geneva, and native of Paris, a man of considerable attainments in various branches of natural philosophy. His grand object in accompanying us was to make trial of a new barometer, of his own construction, in measuring the height of Mont Blanc; the accuracy of some former observations for the same purpose having been recently called in question. Dr. Hamel had already made, ten days before, an unsuccessful attempt to reach the summit by a different

On our arrival at Chamounix, at the excellent hotel de l'Union, we immediately sent for Matthieu Balmal and Joseph Marie Couttet, guides of the valley, to whom we had been recommended to apply ourselves. After a good deal of bargaining, which we were glad to leave to Dr. Hamel, we finally agreed with twelve guides, who were to receive forty-eight francs

:

a-piece the choice of the ten the peasants, and which he informothers was left to the two leaders, ed me had been twice on the sumwho appointed them all to muster in marching order at four o'clock the following morning. The rumour of our intended expedition was soon spread abroad, and we found ourselves treated with something of that kind of respect which is paid to the leaders of the forlorn hope on the eve of the storming of a town. At length the long expected morn arrived at four o'clock we were summoned from our beds, where we had not enjoyed much sleep; and about five we all set off on foot, making, with the guides, a party of sixteen. The latter were each furnished with a knapsack pretty well loaded, in which were placed provisions for the whole party, mathematical instruments, additional clothing for ourselves on the following day, four blankets, and a variety of other things, among which were a carrier pigeon from Bonneville, to convey to that place the earliest tidings of our arrival on the summit, and a live fowl destined to be cooked at the same height. We had also with us some rockets and Bengal lights, which we had promised the ladies below to exhibit from our halting place at night.This was to be the summit of a rock called by the guides Le Grand Mulet, which is a very conspicuous object from the hotel. After returning on the road to St. Martin for nearly a league, we began the ascent in a wood which skirts the mountain for some distance. But previous to this, we stopped for a few minutes at the cottage of Joseph Marie Couttet, which is at the base of the mountain, to provide ourselves with spiked poles; and at his suggestion I exchanged an ordinary hat for one of the kind usually worn by

mit of Mont Blanc. Our caravan now assumed a most romantic appearance; the costume of the guides, each with a French knapsack, and one or two with old pelisses, being decidedly military. It reminded me strongly of a party of guerillas in the Pyrenees, where uniformity either in dress or appointments was considered as an unnecessary refinement. We had each a large straw hat tied under the chin, and a spiked pole, about eight feet long, in our hands. Besides this, our shoes were furnished with short spikes at the heels, to assist us in the descent. We were clothed as lightly as possible, that the motion of our limbs might not be impeded, for we were told to expect a march of eleven or twelve hours, the latter half of which was to be spent in climbing.

The ascent at first is so far from being laborious, that the guides were constantly obliged to repress our ardour, and compelled us to halt every ten minutes, lest we should not husband our strength sufficiently. In about two hours we reached the last human abode, being a chalet, or summer cottage, inhabited by Francois Favret, who had been one of Saussure's guides, and whose son was in our party. A few minutes before, one of our guides pointed out to us Mademoiselle Favret, reclining fearlessly on a very precipitous part of the pasture, where her goats were feeding, and singing with the greatest apparent unconcern. During a halt of five minutes, which we made at the chalet for the purpose of taking a draught of goat's milk, Julien Devouossoux, one of our guides, swallowed a mouthful of sulphuric acid, which he had bought at Chamounix by mistake

for acetic acid, which on these and fixing my eyes steadfastly on occasions the guides usually drink, the precipice, I gradually accus

diluted with water. He suffered acutely for some minutes, until Dr. Hamel thought of making him swallow a quantity of wood-ashes and water, which was fortunately at hand. The alkali neutralized the acid, and he was soon in a condition to pursue his journey. When we resumed our march, the veteran mountaineer, Favret, accompanied us about three hours, higher up to the edge of the glacier, to carry his son's knapsack, and then followed us with his eyes, till he disappeared in one of the awful fissures with which it is every where intersected. He was accompanied by his dog, over whom no one but his master seemed to possess the least influence, being as wild in appearance as the goats which he amused himself occasionally with pursuing. These animals, however, as we were told, were all under command, and, at the approach of winter, were recalled to the more sheltered spots near the base of the mountain.

tomed myself to the view, and was soon enabled to pursue my path with the greatest confidence. This was a very necessary preparatory discipline, to fit us for the infinitely more formidable passage of the glacier, during the whole of which I was perfectly cool and collected. I mention this for the purpose of encouraging those who shrink from such an undertaking from a distrust of the strength of their nerves. It was my first attempt at climbing for many years; and yet by the time we reached the Pierre de l'echelle, (a large round stone, where we halted for breakfast, on the edge of the glacier,) I felt quite at home, and resigned myself completely to the delightful sensations which our situation inspired.

In a cavern below this rock our guides found a ladder which they had left there a year before, and which they employ in the passage of the glacier de Bossons, now close before us. It was about half Since our departure from the past nine when we reached this chalet we had been ascending in resting place, and we felt disposed a zig-zag direction towards the to do justice to a couple of fowls, Aiguille du Midi, a mountain to which were produced from the the left of Mont Blanc, and which knapsack of one of the guides. for a long time appears to rival it They were soon despatched, toin height. We had left the wood gether with a bottle of light French behind us just before we reached wine, and in twenty-five minutes the chalet, and the ascent was now we resumed our march. The bagconsiderably steeper. We trod gage was adjusted afresh: one of for some time in a very precarious the guides had charge of the ladpath, along the brink of an awful- der, and another carried a load of ly deep and precipitous ravine, straw, which we had procured at where I occasionally felt some the chalet, and which was destined tendency to dizziness. This feel- to furnish our bed for the night. ing, however, I concealed so suc- The view became now more and cessfully, that I believe neither more sublime: we had left far bethe guides nor my companions neath us all human abodes, and had any suspicion of it; and by were now in regions where no following Saussure's advice, in the animal but the chamois could tread published account of his ascent,. securely. We had a distant view

of the summit, though the Aiguille lay immediately in our path, seemdu Midi, from the base of which ed an insurmountable barrier, and we were now diverging towards the ascent on the other side was the right, still appeared to equal it so precipitous as to be in parts alin height. Our steps had long been most perpendicular. Our spirits, encumbered with fragments of this however, were now elevated to latter mountain, rent probably by such a pitch, by the pure air we lightning from its summit. Behind had inhaled since we left the chaus, at a great depth, lay the valley let and emerged from the wood, of Chamounix and the village of that we felt equal to any thing; the Prieure, the white walls of the and if a thought of the danger of hotel where we slept making it a the enterprise crossed the mind, very conspicuous object. Before it was only to give an additional us was the "monarch of moun- zest to the proud consciousness of tains," apparently inaccessible; having a heart that could brave it. for the glacier de Bossons, which [To be continued.]

OUTRAGES IN BARBADOES.

In vol. vii, p. 238, we published a short account of the disastrous transactions which occurred in this place, which eventuated in the destruction of the Methodist chapel, &c, and the departure of the missionary, Mr. SHREWSBURY, from the island. The conduct of the missionary, though at the time it was severely censured by some, has been fully justified before the religious public.

The subject, however, has been considered of sufficient importance to be taken up by the Parliament of Great Britain, in the discussion of which the missionary cause in that ill-fated island has obtained a complete triumph. By the politeness of our correspondent, the Rev. RICHARD REECE, we have received a pamphlet containing the speeches of several distinguished members of that legislature, most of which go to condemn the furious proceedings of the Barbadians, and to vindicate the innocence of Mr. SHREWSBURY.

We have not room, neither is it necessary, to publish the whole of this interesting discussion, as all the speakers concurred substantially in the views expressed by Mr. Buxton, whose speech follows.

1816 he was sent out as a missionary to Tortola, where he remained about two years. Such had been his conduct during that time, that he received from Mr. Porter, then chief of the council, and since president of the island, the most flattering testimonials of his pious demeanour and exemplary services during his residence in the island. In 1818 he was sent to Grenada, where he found it necessary to apply to the governor for a donation towards building a Wesleyan cha

MR. F. BUXTON rose for the purpose of stating to the house the case of Mr. Shrewsbury, the Methodist minister at Barbadoes, and in doing so he assured them that he should not unnecessarily occupy their attention. He hoped therefore for a patient hearing, whilst he detailed the history of this transaction, and a remarkable history it was. Mr. Shrewsbury had been for some years a minister in this country, during which time he conducted himself in the most pious and exemplary manner. In pel. The governor sent him a