16 Cases Hams 25 Spring Mattresses 2 Barrels Flour 2 Hair ditto 22 Barrels Whiskey Bedding for same 1 Barrel Sugar 2 Mosquito-nets 1 Keg Lemons 29 Tents 2,000 Cigars Scientific Instruments 1 Barrel Pies 97 Ice-axes 1 Ton of Pemmican 5 Cases Dynamite 143 Pair Crutches 7 Cans Nitroglycerin 2 Barrels Arnica 22 40-foot Ladders 1 Bale of Lint 2 Miles of Rope 27 Kegs Paregoric 154 Umbrellas

It was full four o’clock in the afternoon before my cavalcade was entirely ready.  At that hour it began to move.  In point of numbers and spectacular effect, it was the most imposing expedition that had ever marched from Zermatt.

I commanded the chief guide to arrange the men and animals in single file, twelve feet apart, and lash them all together on a strong rope.  He objected that the first two miles was a dead level, with plenty of room, and that the rope was never used except in very dangerous places.  But I would not listen to that.  My reading had taught me that many serious accidents had happened in the Alps simply from not having the people tied up soon enough; I was not going to add one to the list.  The guide then obeyed my order.

When the procession stood at ease, roped together, and ready to move, I never saw a finer sight.  It was 3,122 feet long—­over half a mile; every man and me was on foot, and had on his green veil and his blue goggles, and his white rag around his hat, and his coil of rope over one shoulder and under the other, and his ice-ax in his belt, and carried his alpenstock in his left hand, his umbrella (closed) in his right, and his crutches slung at his back.  The burdens of the pack-mules and the horns of the cows were decked with the Edelweiss and the Alpine rose.

I and my agent were the only persons mounted.  We were in the post of danger in the extreme rear, and tied securely to five guides apiece.  Our armor-bearers carried our ice-axes, alpenstocks, and other implements for us.  We were mounted upon very small donkeys, as a measure of safety; in time of peril we could straighten our legs and stand up, and let the donkey walk from under.  Still, I cannot recommend this sort of animal—­at least for excursions of mere pleasure—­because his ears interrupt the view.  I and my agent possessed the regulation mountaineering costumes, but concluded to leave them behind.  Out of respect for the great numbers of tourists of both sexes who would be assembled in front of the hotels to see us pass, and also out of respect for the many tourists whom we expected to encounter on our expedition, we decided to make the ascent in evening dress.