118 Dr Barry's Ascent to the Summit of Mont Blanc. 



Having safely re-crossed the glacier, all serious danger was 

 past. The undertaking had been particularly well-timed : it was 

 not until De Saussure's third attempt, and after he had contem- 

 plated the accent for six-and-twenty years, that he succeeded ; 

 and the indefatigable Bourrit was obliged to return at five dif- 

 ferent times, and never accomplished his object. 



It was very interesting to me, just before reaching the valley, 

 to meet with Jacques Balmat, an old man of 73, who, in an at- 

 tempt to ascend this mountain in the year 1786, having passed 

 a night alone and unsheltered in a storm upon the snow, disco- 

 vered a way — probably the only way — of reaching the summit, 

 and the same year conducted Dr Paccard to it. He was De 

 Saussure's principal guide in 1787, and has been surnamed 

 " Mont Blanc." 



Between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived 

 at the Priory, not having met with any accident, and having had 

 three days without a cloud. The barometer brought down 

 from Mont Blanc stood at 26.918 English inches at 5 v. m., the 

 attached thermometer = 71°.37 F. ; hence I found that it had 

 sustained no injury, and that the observations taken at the sum- 

 mit, &c. might be relied on. 



It appeared, by the list at the Priory, that mine was the 16th 

 ascent, and later in the season by seven days than any former 

 one. By the same document, I found myself to be the JjJOth 

 person (guides not included), and the 12th Briton, who had 

 reached the summit. A certificate of having accomplished the 

 ascent was, as is usual, received from the Sindic of Chamonix, 

 attested by the guides.* 



* Extract of the certificate : — " Nous, Sindic de la Commune de Chamonix, 

 province de Faucign}"-, Duche de Savoie, cerlifions et attestons a qui de droit, 

 que Monsieur Martin Barry, Anglais, Docteur en Medecine et en Philosophie, 

 a fait, I'ascension du Mont-Blanc, le dix-sept du Courant, aecompagne' des 

 six guides de nomnes Tairraz Jean Pierre, Couttet Joseph ]\Iarie, Balmat 

 Jean Michel, Despland Fran9ois, Tournier Simon, et Tairraz Jean. Qu'ils 

 sont partis de Chamonix le seize du Courant pour aller coucher au Grand 

 Mulet, et parvenus le lendemain dix-sept du Courant sur la cime du Mont- 

 Blanc, a deux heures apre's midi, avec, un beau tems, ou Mrle Docteur Barry 

 est reste' accompagne's de ses guides plus d'une heure de tems, et oil il a fait 

 diverses experiences phisiques, et observations barometriques. Qu'il sont 

 successiveraent rede's cendus coucher au Grand Mulet, ou ils sont arrivt^s a 



