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diate and hopeless dilapidation of their apparel. The rather
heavy gentleman is adjured to leave his litter too, and be
escorted in a similar manner; but he resolves to be brought
down as he was brought up, on the principle that his fifteen
bearers are not likely to tumble all at once, and that he is
safer so, than trusting to his own legs.

In this order, we begin the descent: sometimes on foot,
sometimes shuffling on the ice: always proceeding much
more quietly and slowly, than on our upward way: and con-
stantly alarmed by the falling among us of somebody from
behind, who endangers the footing of the whole party, and
clings pertinaciously to anybody's ankles. It is impossible
for the litter to be in advance, too, as the track has to be
made; and its appearance behind us, overhead - with some
one or other of the bearers always down, and the rather
heavy gentleman with his legs always in the air - is very
threatening and frightful. We have gone on thus, a very
little way, painfully and anxiously, but quite merrily, and
regarding it as a great success - and have all fallen several
times, and have all been stopped, somehow or other, as we
were sliding away - when Mr. Pickle, of Portici, in the act
of remarking on these uncommon circumstances as quite
beyond his experience, stumbles, falls, disengages himself,
with quick presence of mind, from those about him, plun-
ges away head foremost, and rolls, over and over, down the
whole surface of the cone!

Sickening as it is to look, and be so powerless to
help him, I see him there, in the moonlight - I have

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