Mountain Journeys 91 



The account of the trip of Dr. Clark and Captain Sherwill 1J " 

 contains very interesting details. They ascended Mont Blanc 

 August 25, 1825; leaving Chamounix at seven o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, they reached the summit the next day at five minutes past 

 three: 



When they reached the Grand-Plateau, M. Clark was exhausted, 

 Captain Sherwill was greatly nauseated and oppressed .... Simon, 

 one of the guides, complained of headache .... 



On the summit of Mont Blanc, M. Clark found breathing difficult, 

 even when he refrained entirely from moving. He felt in his chest a 

 sensation like that which precedes hemoptysia, a disease to which he 

 was quite subject in his youth. However he did not spit blood on the 

 summit of Mont Blanc. One of the guides who had accidentally 

 received a blow on the nose lost a little blood, which seemed darker 

 in color than usual. Both M. Clark and Captain Sherwill suffered 

 from violent headache; their faces were pale and drawn. The captain 

 spoke of a singular sensation which he had felt near the summit: 

 it seemed to him as if his body had an extraordinary elasticity and 

 lightness, as if his feet hardly touched the ground. The guides were, 

 in general, very tired and complained of headache. 



In 1827, July 24, another ascent by Hawes and Fellowes, 1 - 7 

 accompanied by ten guides. The night was passed at the Grands- 

 Mulets (—5°). 



During the ascent of the Dome du Goute, they began to feel the 

 effects of the great elevation, the headache increased as they 

 advanced; the veins swelled, the pulse was strong and rapid .... 



At a thousand feet from the summit, the travellers had nose-bleed, 

 and nearly every one spat blood; these symptoms were extraordinarily 

 severe in M. Felowes, who was very delicate; but M. Hawes, short, 

 sturdy, and robust, resisted better. Their breathing was strangely 

 affected; they could not take more than six or eight steps without 

 stopping. Two guides, completely worn out, were sick and vomited 

 much blood. Moreover, every one had the skin of his face cracked 

 and lost blood within. The cold was intense .... 



By resting, though for only a short time, the travellers reached 

 the crest of Mont Blanc at 2:20. (P. 267.) 



The same year, a Scotch traveller, Auldjo, made the same 

 ascent on August 9. Not having been able to get the original 

 account which he published, I am borrowing a summary of it 

 from the work of M. Lepileur, whom I shall mention again soon: 



M. Auldjo says that he did not begin to feel the effects of the 

 rarefaction of the air until he had reached an elevation of about 

 4,200 meters; he was then attacked by oppression and difficulty in 

 breathing. His pulse became frequent; he felt thirst and a fullness 

 of the veins of his head, but no headache when he was quiet. Most 

 of his guides suffered in the same way and to the same degree. As 



