Mountain Journeys 81 



him. The next year, he commissioned Pierre Balmat to construct a 

 hut at the foot of one of the crests of the needle of Goute, so that he 

 might rest there before trying next to mount to the summit of 

 Mont Blanc: 



§1963. In executing this project, Pierre Balmat, Marie Coutet, 

 and another guide, June 9, 1786, .... reached the summit of the 

 needle of Goute, after having all of them been extremely ill from 

 fatigue and the rarity of the air. (Vol. IV, p. 138.) 



It was in consequence of this trip that Jacques Balmat, who had 

 rejoined his compatriots and who passed the night on the mountain, 

 found the route to Mont Blanc by the Corridor: 



§1965. This route had already been tried but had been discarded 

 because of a strange prejudice. As it follows a sort of valley between 

 eminences, it was imagined that it was too warm and had too little 

 air ... . Fatigue and the rarity of the air caused in those who made 

 the first attempts this prostration of which I have often spoken; they 

 attributed this distress to the heat and the stagnation of the air, and 

 tried to reach the crest only by uncovered and isolated ridges. 



The people of Chamounix also believed that sleep at these great 

 heights would be fatal; but the test which Jacques Balmat made by 

 passing the night there dissipated this fear. (Vol. IV. p. 140.) 



It seems as if the account given by De Saussure of the discovery 

 of Jacques Balmat is not exactly correct. The illustrious physicist 

 of Geneva seems to have been led astray by his favorite guides, 

 who, jealous of Balmat, attributed to chance what was the fruit of 

 long and persistent research. The interesting works of M. Ch. 

 Durier have cast some light on this point. At any rate, June 10, 

 1786, Jacques Balmat, having found the true route, after several 

 nights passed on the mountain, descended to Chamounix almost 

 dying of fatigue and cold. Being attended by Dr. Paccard, he in- 

 formed him of his discovery and proposed to share the glory of it 

 with him by making the ascent with him. Paccard accepted, and 

 on August 9, 1786, a human foot for the first time trod the summit 

 of the highest mountain of Europe. Dr. Paccard had been ex- 

 hausted by fatigue and no doubt also by the rarefaction of the air 

 so that he stopped on the way and lay down; Balmat ascended 

 alone, then returned to seek his companion, half carried him to the 

 crest, and took him back down blinded by the snow. 



Unfortunately I have not been able to get an authentic account 

 of this memorable ascent. That of Alexandre Dumas (Impressions 

 de voyage en Suisse, Chap. X) , much less inexact than one would 

 expect, cannot, however, be trusted in physiological matters. But 

 what has been said and written about this journey shows that the 



