Chamouni

sha-moo-ne', a picturesque vale in Switzerland. Politically it lies in Savoy, a province of France. Geographically it is a part of the upper valley of the river Arve. It is about twelve miles in length. It runs toward the southwest. Mount Blanc towers on one side, and a lofty, precipitous mountain bounds it on the other. The name is derived from the chamois or wild goat. The valley receives several glaciers, chief among which is the noted Mer de Glace, or sea of ice from the shoulder of Mount Blanc. The village of Chamouni, magnificently situated in full view of the great mountain, has a large summer population of tourists. In the winter the natives, about 2,500 in number, settle down to spinning, toymaking, carving, preparing alpenstocks, and getting ready in other ways for a summer tourist trade. The soil of the valley is scanty, but is carefully tilled. Colonies of bees gather mountain honey. See Blanc; Switzerland