Mountain Journeys 129 



Wood showed later, the plateau of Pamir, at an altitude of 4700 

 meters. 



Chinese travellers, still earlier, had visited these lofty places. 

 For instance, the pilgrim Fa-Hian 189 in the year 399 crossed the 

 pass of Karakorum (5690 meters). Also the celebrated Hiouen- 

 Thsang 200 coming from China found "a series of mountains and 

 valleys and peaks of prodigious height. He crossed black moun- 

 tains." (P. 55.) M. Stanislas Julien declares that this means the 

 passes of Hindou-Kouch and the plateau of Pamir. But in the very 

 brief reports left us there is no mention of physiological obser- 

 vations. 



The description "of the provinces Wei and Zzang" of Western 

 China, which, published in Chinese in the year 1792, has been 

 translated into French by Klaproth - 01 , contains some indications 

 which, as we shall see later, evidently refer to the symptoms of 

 decompression. 



In mentioning disturbances which affect travellers in these 

 lands of lofty mountains, the Chinese author speaks of: 



Heat of the body, headaches, and other diseases peculiar to the 

 climate. (P. 23.) 



Later, in an itinerary remarkable for the accuracy in distances 

 and the abundance of details, he mentions the influence of poison- 

 ous plants, which we shall soon see playing a great part in the 

 narratives of travellers; here, it is rhubarb which is blamed: 



Leaving Djedo, one travels from mountains to mountains; they 

 extend a long way, but they are not very high. Rhubarb is abundant 

 there; it exhales a very strong odor which annoys the traveller very 

 much. (P. 188.) 



Finally, after plants, come exhalations from the ground: 



Further to the west of Djaya, one crosses a great snowy mountain; 

 the road is very steep. The accumulated snow looks like silvery vapor. 

 The mist which the mountain exhales penetrates the body and makes 

 the Chinese sick. (P. 210.) .... 



From Lang Thang Keou, one follows the valley, ascending . . . 

 The frozen snow makes the road slippery and very dangerous. There 

 are also pestilential exhalations there. (P. 217.) 



During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, some Euro- 

 pean travellers, missionaries, merchants, soldiers, or adventurers, 

 visited the lofty regions of Central Asia, either in the Chinese 

 Empire, or in that of the Grand Mogul. 



Only in one account, that of the Portuguese Jesuit Antonio 



