926 A DREARY SCENE.

descriptive powers of the writer, and contains a
peautiful incident, evincing his ardent love of
flowers. What student of natural history among
us that does not feel he owes a debt of gratitude
to the author of that charming book, ‘“ A Familiar
History of Birds”—one of the most attractive and
entertaining works on ornithology we possess? I
am persuaded that all who have delighted them-
selves over its pages will read with interest this
narrative of his personal adventures.

It was in the year 1818 that the Bishop (then
Mr Stanley) arrived in the village of Martigny, a
few days after that memorable catastrophe when,
by the bursting of its icy mounds, the extensive
lake of Mauvoisin was in an instant let loose,
pouring forth six hundred millions of cubic feet
of water over the peaceful and fruitful valley of
the Drance, with the irresistible velocity of sixteen
miles an hour, and carrying before its overwhelm-
ing torrent every vestige of civilised life which
stood within its impetuous reach. The whole vil-
lage and its environs exhibited a dreary scene of
death and desolation; and the traveller found it
impossible to contemplate the effects consequent
upon so awful a visitation without a corresponding
excitement of strong curiosity to follow the devas-
tation to its source, and learn from personal inspec-
tion the mode in which Nature had carried on and