126 Historical 



he had had any difficulty in breathing on the summits .... He ans- 

 wered that he had not been able to reach the tops of these mountains 

 because of the snow; that, however, he had noticed that he was obliged 

 to breathe more frequently. 



I asked him whether this difficulty seemed to him accidental or 

 peculiar to him; but he assured me that it was general on lofty places 

 and was commonly observed. 



This same ecclesiastic felt similar respiratory symptoms when 

 he made the ascent of a mountain in the Cevennes. (P. 2038.) 



The celebrated botanist Tournefort, who attempted the ascent 

 on August 11, 1701, could not go even to the snow line: 



One (he says) complained that he could not breathe; as for me, 

 I had never been so afraid that some lymph vessel would burst in 

 my body. (Vol. II, P. 316.) 



The first complete ascent of which we have a record is the one 

 made in 1829 by Parrot, the learned traveller whom we have 

 quoted so often already; he had to make three attempts. 



September 12, 1SS he ascended only to 3850 meters (p. 130) ; 

 September 18, he reached 5000 meters (p. 146) . Finally, September 

 26, he passed the night at 4300 meters; he complains only of a 

 feeling of fatigue and a tendency to sleep (P. 156.) The next day, 

 departure for the summit: 



We had to leave one of our peasants sick at camp. Two others, 

 over-tired by the ascent of the glaciers, lay down on the ground, then 

 went back down. Without letting ourselves be discouraged, we 

 continued on our way. (P. 157). 



The rest of their account shows that their fatigue was extreme; 

 but no other symptom is noted. At a quarter past three, they 

 reached the summit: "My first desire and my first pleasure was 

 rest", says Parrot. (P. 159.) 



The difficulties with which popular opinion surrounded an 

 ascent which seemed a trifle sacrilegious caused this circumstan- 

 tial and credible account of Parrot to be called in question. But 

 a few years later other explorers, Avtonomoff, 189 August 5, 1834, 

 Behrens, 190 July 20 and August 9, 1835, Abich, 1 " 1 July 29, 1845, 

 proved its exactness. I could not get the complete account of these 

 ascents, and the reports of them given by the journals of geo- 

 graphy do not mention any physiological disturbance. 



But that proves nothing, for they are equally silent when they 

 discuss 19 -' the celebrated ascent of the Russian Colonel Chodzko, 

 and yet it appears from a communication the learned geodesist 

 sent me that these disturbances were anything but negligible. 



