24 MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORIES IN AMERICA AND EUROPE. 



M. Janssen has also made experiments on these physiological 

 points. During his ascent of 1890 (just described) he was dragged to 

 the summit on a sledge by guides without physical fatigue on his part, 

 and he describes himself as entirely free from any ill effects due to the 

 height* Exertion at high levels seems to bring on mountain-sickness, 

 however, unless one is habituated to them by long use, as Mr. Whym- 

 per's Andes experiments prove ; and M. Yallot's expression of 

 " diminished-living " must be true, in general, of those who have work 

 to do at high altitudes — witness the guides and porters of the Mt. Blanc 

 expeditions, to mention no others. The hundreds of visitors to Pike's 

 Peak are subjected to no fatigue during their ascent in the railway 

 train; but "two-thirds" of them are subject to mountain-sickness in 

 spite of the absence of fatigue. 



The main work of M. Janssen's stations is to be in the fields of 

 astronomy, physics, and meteorology, although other researches are 

 to be undertaken. 



Stations on and near Mt. Blanc. 



metres. feet. 



Observatory at the summit (Janssen) (astronomical, physical, 



meteorological,) 4810 = 15781 



Chalet at the Rocher-Rouge (Janssen) 4509 = 14793 



Meteorological observatory at Rochers des Bosses (Vallot). . 4365 = 14331 

 Chalet station of the French Alpine Club i _ 



Cabin of the Grands-Mulets ) ~ 



Physical laboratory, etc., at Chamounix (Janssen) 1035 = 3396 



The altitudes of other points on Mt. Blanc, are : 



Rocher de la Tourette 4751 metres. 



Rocher de la Tournette 4673 " 



Petits-Mulets 4671 



Petits Rochers-Rouges 4581 " 



For comparison we may recall the altitudes following : 



Geneva 407??i. = 1315 feet 



Grand St. Bernard 2477«i. = 8137 feet 



TABLE SHOWING THE WORK ON MT. BLANC FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS. 



1886. M. Vallot made two ascents of Mt. Blanc, 



1887. M. Vallot spent three days on Mt. Blanc. 



1887. M. Vallot maintained self-registering meteorological instruments at 



Chamounix, Grands-Mulets, Mt. Blanc. 



1888. M. Vallot made two ascents of Mt. Blanc. 



* Pourquoi les emotions sont-elles alors si vives ? pourquoi en particulier 

 . . . eprouvai-je un sentiment de legerete delicieuse dans tout mon etre? 

 pourquoi me semblait-il que j'etais soulage d'un poids considerable qui avait 

 jusque-la enchaine et alourdi 7napensee, et que maintenant elle allait prendre son 

 essor et aborder en toute liberte et amour les questions les plus difficiles et les plus 

 belles d'un ordre moral superieur? (L'Astrouoviie, 1893, p. 447.) 



