256 HIGHEST METEOROLOGICAL STATION IN THE WORLD. 



situation of the iustrunieiit in a depression on the flank of the moun- 

 tain, the topography of a station being known to influence these i)eriods. 



As has been stated, the permanent snow line is above the camp on 

 Charchani, but last March, at the close of the warm and wet season, 

 there were 2 feet of snow on the plateau. Snow covered the ground 

 down to 11,700 feet, while ice formed at night as low as ll,r)0() feet. 

 On the night of March 0, the temperature of the air, in the shelter at 

 the Charchani cam^), fell to 20-5o, while over the snow, radiation low- 

 ered it to 14°. The temj)eratures do not seem to be greatly influenced 

 by the seasons, and the range from January to March, 1893, was from 

 13° to 46° F. The decrease of temperature in the 8,000 feet of air 

 between the cam]) and observatory, as deduced from nearly simulta- 

 neous observations at 8 r. M. and 8 A. m. on IMarch Oand 10, 1893, was 1 

 degree for 284 feet in the morning and 1 degree for 309 feet in the even- 

 ing, which agrees with similar observations previously made in the 

 tropics. The relative humidity was completely inverted at these times, 

 the evening observations showing 34 per cent on the mountain and 56 

 per cent at the observatory, while the morning observation gave 56 per 

 cent on the mountain and 30 jier cent at the observatory, the changes 

 from nearly complete saturation to great dryness being very sudden at 

 the upper station. 



The physiological eflects of an ascent to the camp on Charchani, 

 where the atmospheric jiressure is reduced to about 16*50 inches, are 

 very marked. This seems to be about the limit to which mules can l)e 

 driven, and seldom in other places have they been taken so high. Few 

 persons escape the sorocJic or mountain sickness in some of its forms, 

 especially if they stoj) at night. The eflect upon the writer during his 

 eighteen hours' sojourn may be interesting. Though ordinarily sick at 

 lower altitudes, there Avas here no nausea or severe headache, the usual 

 symptoms of mountain sickness, which may i)erhaps be attributed to 

 the ascent by mule, without muscular exertion, whereas previous high 

 ascents had generally been on foot. Other symptoms however mani- 

 fested themselves in abnormal excitability and restlessness which made 

 sleep impossible, and by a ]ai)se of memory as well as in a want of 

 sequence of ideas. The appetite remained good, and the writer's phys- 

 ical condition made it prol-able that he could have climbed higher 

 After a rest of two hours at the hut, the pulsations of the heart were. 

 115, and the respiration through the lungs 25 per minute. These 

 decreased during the night to 88 and 22, respectively, and the temper- 

 ature of the blood (measured under the arm) from 9806o to 97*52°, 

 the normals at Are(juii)a at night being 80, 21, and 97-10°, respectively. 



All the meteorological data would be much more valuable if obtained 

 in the free air upon the summit of Charchani. The establishment of 

 a station 3,400 feet higher, however, is a very difficult undertaking, as 

 two unsuccessful attempts have been made by parties from the observ- 

 atory to cliuib the steep and soow-covered slope, A thermometer shel- 



