MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORIES IN AMERICA AND EUROPE. 41 



Mr. Whympek's Expedition to the Andes of Ecuador. 



The lirst sentence of Mr. Whymper's book propounds the question 

 whicli his expedition to the Andes was intended to solve. " It has 

 long been mucli debated,'" he says, " whether human life can be sus- 

 taiiied at great altitudes above the level of the sea in such a manner as 

 will permit of the accomplishment of useful work " — of useful scientific 

 work, I understand him to mean. There is no question, he goes on to 

 say, that it is possible to exist at great elevations for short periods. 

 Balloon ascensions have fully demonstrated this fact. 



Mountain-sickness has long been known to occur at altitudes above, 

 say, 14,000 feet ; and this in all parts of the world. Mr. Whymper's 

 main object was to determine whether a prolonged residence at higli 

 altitudes might not do away with the depressing effects of mountain- 

 sickness, and generally to study the physiological as well as the more 

 2)ractical aspects of the question. 



De Saussure on Mont Blanc (15,780 feet) found himself unable to 

 perform, in four and a half hours, the experiments for which less than 

 three hours were sufficient at sea-level. 



Darwin found it " incomprehensible how Humboldt and others were 

 able to ascend to the elevation of 19,000 feet." 



The brothers Schlagintweit ascended to great heights in Asia, and 

 Ml'. Wh3'niper understands them to say that they became somewhat 

 habituated to low pressures ; although they also say that at heights of 

 SOI fie 22,000 feet, it had become practically impossible to go farther, 

 and that all the party was sick. 



Mr, Wh3nnper's plans pre-supposed that the experiments should be 

 made by persons previously accustomed to mountain-work ; that a pro- 

 longed sojourn should be made at elevations above, say, 15,000 feet ; 

 and that all discomfort should be eliminated so far as possible. Cir- 

 cumstances compelled him to select the high Andes of Ecuador as his 

 field of work. 



Mr. Whymper's own experience had been very wide, and his party 

 included J. A. Carrel, an old Swiss guide. Carrel's cousin Louis, and 

 a native of Ecuador. The first three were highly skilled mountaineers, 

 and no one of them had ever been affected with mountain-sickness in 

 the least degree. Their work had, however, all been done at elevations 

 less than 16,000 feet. They reached their very first camp on Chim- 

 borazo (16,664 feet) by riding on mules. Mr. Whymper, at least, had 

 not made any very severe exertion, yet he and both the Carrels were 

 at once attacked with the mountain-sickness. 



The part}'' stayed on Chimborazo, at this time, for 17 days. One 

 night had been passed at 14,875 feet, ten at 16,664, and six others at 

 17,286 feet. The summit was reached once (20.545 feet) and three 



