Summit of Mount Blane. 8 
ot tions. Our ascent to the summit - ee Blanc, 
= 
ay be considered a journey of curiosity: but it was 
our wish to examine the temperature and pre st of the 
atmosphere, to obtain an exact knowledge of ee _ 
of the frozen region, and to a AUEVEY the rocks. therm 
+ 
ture at the top, we were about to notice it at aad distances 
on our descent. rvessels of air from the summit were 
injured in sliding down the declivities or in wading through 
the snow.—As to the rocks little can be said of them: the 
nature of the mountain has long been well known, and it 
would be useless to enlarge upon the accounts already given. 
Thus our journey has been of no avail in adding to our 
e of the rarefaction of air at the top, yet we are 
i eecbe so : secre <a 
is t00 wo ow a portion — 
that the attempt i been made. - 
Mons. de Saussure jones the absolute es s Mount 
Blanc to be 14,700 feet: Delue made it 14,346: Prof. 
Pictet says it is 14,556 : while M. Tralles, who tae measur- 
ed it three times, with the same result makes it 14,793 feet : 
making its absolute height 5,355 feet less than that of Chim-— 
borazo ; but its relative height is greater, as it rises 11,532 
feet above the vale of Chamouny, while Chimbdorazo is ele- 
vated only 11,232 feet above the es of Tapia—making 
a difference of 300 feet relative height 
It was in 1760 that M, de Saussure seems first to have 
thought of pak ah. Mount Blanc, and offered a reward to 
the person who should discover a way to the summit. His 
offers were aaa to induce many to make the attempt— 
and for twenty-five years, unsuccessfully. The most impor- 
fant, trials are recorded as Ws.. 
first attempt was made i in 1762 2 by an inhabitant of 
Chantapuxs ; he failed as he only h 
In 1775 four men, following the same route, advanced to 
the mount de Ja Cole, running eal lel to the glacier Bossons. 
In 1783 three others tried the same path, but were forced 
to return by a strong desire to sleep, which would have been 
fetal, if in “tease . 
LV Ohne tH -adtOn ke a4 
