1826,].. 
task’ was one of no ss difficulty. Qn 
the 28th of August last M. Peytier ascend- 
‘the peak. of Baletons, situated at the top 
the valley of Argeiez, at an elevation of 
,180_ fathoms above the level of the sea. 
€ was accompanied by M, Hussard, and 
dees men were employed to carry imstru- 
ments, tents, and sufficient provisions to 
Ta, till the Ist of September. On the 
it of the 25th August they encountered 
: tremendous storm, eecompanied with 
hail and snow, which increased on the fol- 
lowing day, and continved until the evening 
of the 27th. During these three days the 
thermometer yaried between 3° and 6° 8” 
below zero. On the 28th and 29th the 
weather was more temperate, and they 
‘were enabled to take a series of angles on 
the two following days, although surrounded 
by thick and almost impenetrable clouds. 
ithstanding these obstacles, M. Pey- 
ti determined not to quit the peak 
ui e had finished his observations, and 
the provisions having all been consumed on 
the Sst, two men were sent into the valley 
to procure more. 
- On the night of the 31st, however, the 
snow fell i in such quantities that every pas- 
sage was blocked up; and it was not till 
the 2d of September, towards mid-day, that 
the cries of the two men were heard, who 
‘endeavoured in vain to ascend the peak. 
Tn this state of things, the only alternatives 
left to M. Peytier were to descend, or to 
bs with hunger upor the mountain. 
~ There’ was no time for consideration ; a 
; Paris Institute. — Academy of Sciences 
August 7 . M, Lafitte presented a me- 
mor on anew method of u-ing the grap- 
pling iron on ship-board—(Relerred to a 
commission already sitting on a similar sub- 
.) M. Belli, professor of mathematics 
-at Pisa, forwarded a paper, entitted cxpo- 
“sition of certain prineiples on the general 
solution of equations higher than the first 
degree’ —( Referred to MM. Aimpere and 
Cauchy.) M. Cheyreul was elected into 
opt a of chemistry, in the place of M. 
Provost, who was dead, MM. Dupuytren 
communicated some observations on the 
treatment of cancer of the lower jaw, by 
“amputating the bone.’ The skin is healed 
oim,/& few days, and bout thirty days are 
required 4 the reunion of the parts of 
othe bone. , 
ou) August 14. The examination of a work by 
»/M. Balme, a physician of Lyons, entitled 
_fObseryationsand Reflections onthe causes, 
othe symptoms, and the treatment of conta- 
Hgiom in different diseases, and. particularly 
the heb and. yellow fever’’—( Referred to 
(MM: Dumeril and Boyer.) Some zoo- 
sa tions made in the Straits of 
Gibraltar, by the naturalist to the expedi- 
M.M. New Serics.—Vou, LI. No. 12, 
, Proceedings of Learned Seotettes. 
665 
rope was sttached to a men, who es- 
deayoured to make a passage through the 
snow with a pick-axe as he deseended ; the 
party slowly descended after hin, at the 
imminent risk of falling and being dashed 
to pieces at eyery instant. After six hours 
of danger and fatigue they arrived at a hut, 
but, though almost ready to faint from hun- 
ger, they were nut abie to procure any focd ; 
and they did not arrive at Argelez (ill tie 
next day, after having been thirty-six heurs 
without any sort of refreshment. 
As the party were obliged to leave their. 
instruments and effects upon the mountain, 
they of course were aixious to bring them 
back again; and they made a second expe- 
dition on the 9th of September for the pur- 
pose, which was completely successful, and 
their object was fully accomplished, though 
they had scarcely descended when a’ most 
terrific storm overtook them, and Jarge 
flakes of snow were driven after them as 
far as the village of Arrens. An idea may 
be formed of the danger and privations ex- 
perienced upon the first expedition when it 
is stated, that of the eleven men who first 
ascended, one only could be prevailed upon 
to make a second trial. 
By the courage end resolution ‘of \M, 
Peytier, a knowledge of the exact limits of 
this immense chain of mountains has thus 
been obtained, an object which has long 
been desired as one of the utmost impor- 
tance in a scientific point of view, and to 
accomplish which many unsuccessful at- 
tempts have been made at different periods, 
shy PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
tion under a M. d’ Arville, were communi- 
cated; also some others by those in the 
Astrolabe. Dr. Bordot read a note rela- 
tive to. a living Chinese, 22 years old, who 
bears on the fore part of his breast an ace- 
phalous fetus ; and drawings ofthe subject 
were submitted to the Academy. MM. 
Veuquelin, Thepard, and Gay Lussac gave 
a highly favourable report on the memoir 
of M. Balard, which described a new, subs- 
tance he had fond in sea-water, and to 
which, with the consent of M. Balard, they 
gave the name of Brome, instead of mu- 
ride, which he had einployed. M. Heron 
de Villefosse made a yerbal report. on the 
work of M. Karsten, ‘“* Researches on the 
carbonaceous substance of the mineral 
kingdom, and. particularly on the ¢ompo- 
sition of the pit-coal in the Russian Do- 
minions.” 
August 21. M, Navier read a memoir 
‘on the strength of various substances."’ M. 
Ouvrard communicated some observat’o is 
on a new Comet, in Eridanus, by M. 
Gambart at Marseilles, and Pons et Lurca. 
Itis yery small and without a tail, and the 
light of the moon almost renders it invisible. 
MM. Geoffroy, St. Milaire and Blai. yills 
4Q 
