Mountain. Journeys 127 



Here is the account as it was given me in a letter written in 

 French by General Chodzko: I quote it in full, thanking my emi- 

 nent correspondent sincerely for his kindness. The expedition 

 included five officers and sixty soldiers: 



The ascent began July 31 (August 11), 1850. From August 4 (16) 

 to August 6 (18), we remained in our tents at the foot of the summit 

 of Mount Ararat. August 5 (17), during the night, sheltered under 

 perpendicular cliffs, we remained from eight to eleven o'clock in the 

 evening in the midst of electrically charged clouds. The lightning 

 flashes which one sees from below crossing the clouds like mere thin 

 ribbons had enormous dimensions; the thunder roared at the very 

 instant when the flash appeared; it was like the fire of a volley of 

 cannons. After a storm of three hours, a very loud clap of thunder 

 detached a part of the cliff, which fell with a crash. 



After the thunder storm was over, hurricanes of snow came on. 

 It was a very difficult task for us to unroll and stretch a little higher 

 two little canvas tents, under which we remained from the 16th to the 

 19th of August. August 18, after reaching the summit, we set up there 

 a cross painted black. Two tents were pitched in holes dug in the 

 snow. August 19, the observations of the zenithal distances were begun 

 (Ararat was observed from 122 trigonometric points); they were 

 finished after a fashion on the morning of August 24. We set out at 

 noon, and descended rapidly. 



As for physiological symptoms, my head was very heavy; it 

 seemed to me as if an iron ring pressed my skull above the ears. 

 We had to walk very slowly in order to breathe easily. At night, 

 when we were sleeping wrapped up in pelisses, if the cold penetrating 

 through them awakened us, the movements we made to pull them 

 around us cut off our breathing. The third day my head became 

 lighter; but it was still impossible to walk quickly. 



In their journey to Armenia, Radde and Sievers made some 

 fairly lofty ascents, among them one of a mountain near the lake 

 of Chara-Gol, July 28, 1871: 



At an altitude of about 12,300 feet (says Radde) 1Da I had to stop. 

 My respiration was difficult, my knees were absolutely broken. I 

 began to be feverish .... Sievers climbed bravely on. I remained 

 lying down completely apathetic, for two hours, awaiting his return. 

 At the end of about two hours, he returned, as sick as I, completely 

 exhausted and broken. (P. 177.) 



Among the numerous travellers who have traversed Asia Minor 

 in all directions, I find only one, Hamilton, 194 who made the ascent 

 of Argaeus (3840 meters), July 30, 1837. He says absolutely 

 nothing of physiological disturbances. 



Persia. But I have found two accounts of ascents of the extinct 

 volcano of Demavend (5620 meters), near Teheran. 



