606 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



atmosphere began to affect my 

 head with a dull and heavy pain. 

 I also found, to my great surprise, 

 an acute sensation of pain, veiy 

 different fiom that of weariness, 

 immediately above my knees. 

 Having finished our repast, we 

 pursued our journey, and soon 

 arrived at a chasm which could 

 not have existed many days, for 

 it was not formed at the time of 

 M. de Saussure's ascent. Misled 

 by this last circumstance, for we 

 concluded that, as he had seen no 

 rents whatever from the time that 

 he passed the place where he slept 

 the second night, none were likely 

 to be formed, we had left our lad- 

 der about a league behind ; but as 

 the chasm was far from wide, we 

 passed it on the poles that we used 

 for walking ; an expedient which 

 suggested t© me that the length 

 of our ladder might be easily in- 

 creased by the addition of several 

 poles laid parallel and fastened to 

 its end ; and that the hazard of 

 finding our retreat cut oil" from 

 the enlargement of the chasms 

 might by this nieans be materially 

 diminislied. At this place I had 

 an oppoitunity of measuring the 

 height of the snow which had fall- 

 en during the preceding winter, 

 and which was distinguished by 

 its superior whiteness from that 

 of the former year. I found it to 

 be live feet. The snow of each 

 particular year appeared as a sepa- 

 rate stratum ; that which was 

 more than a twelvemonth old was 

 perfect ice ; while that of the last 

 winter was fast approaching to a 

 similar state. At length, after a 

 difficult ascent, which lay among 

 precipices, and during which we 

 were often obliged to employ the 

 hatchet in making a footing for 



our feet, we reached and reposed 

 ourselves upon a narrow flat which 

 is the last of three from the foot 

 of the small mountain, and which, 

 according to M. de Saussuie, is 

 but 150 fathoms below the level 

 of the summit. Upon this plat- 

 form 1 found a beautiful dead but- 

 terfly, the only appearance which, 

 from the time I entered on the 

 snow, I had seen of any animal. 

 The pernicious effects of the thin- 

 ness of the air were now evident 

 on us all ; a desire, almost irre- 

 sistible, of sleep came on. My 

 spirits had left me ; sometimes 

 indifferent as to the event, I wish- 

 ed to lie down ; at others, I blam- 

 ed myself for the expedition ; and, 

 though just at the summit, had 

 thoughts of turning back, without 

 accomplishing my purpose. Of 

 my guides many were in a worse 

 situation ; for, exhausted by ex- 

 cessive vomiting, they seeme.l to 

 have lost all strength, both of 

 mind and body. But shame at 

 length came to our relief. I drank 

 the last pint of water that was left, 

 and found myself amazingly re- 

 fieshed. Yet the pain in my knees 

 had increased so much, that at the 

 end of every 20 or 30 paces 1 was 

 obliged to rest till its sharpness 

 was abated. My lungs with diffi- 

 culty performed their office, and 

 my heart was affected with violent 

 palpitation. At last, however, but 

 with a sort of apathy which scarce- 

 ly admitted the sense of joy, we 

 reached the summit of the moun- 

 tain ; when six of my guides, and 

 with them my servant, threw 

 themselves on their faces, and 

 were irnmediately asleep. I en- 

 vied them their repose ; but my 

 anxiety to obtain a good observa- 

 tion for the latitude subdued my 



wishes 



