154 Analysis of Scientific Books and Memoirs. 



Although Monte Rosa is thus deprived of the honour of being placed 

 at the head of our mountains, yet it has acquired a new degree of inter- 

 est during its temporary elevation. Baron Welden, the author of the 

 present work, conceived the laudable design of exploring and describing 

 the topography, the orometry, the geology, the natural history, and 

 the botany of this mountainous region. 



Monte Rosa is finely seen from the rich plains of Lombardy. It is 

 seen distinctly from the Gulf of Genoa, while Mont Blanc is concealed 

 behind the mountains of Cogne and Saone. Baron Welden has observed 

 Monte Rosa from the whole chain of the Appenines, from Sasso di Cas- 

 tro, above Loano, on the road from Florence to Bologna, from Monte 

 Cimone, on the road from Modena to Pistoja, from Lacissa of Pontre- 

 moli at Parma, and also from the Col de Tende. In general it is seen 

 in all directions to the south and the east, as the view of it is not inter- 

 rupted by any mountains of sufficient altitude. Towards the east it is 

 seen from the whole chain of Mont Cenis ; and Baron Welden has ob- 

 served it from all the chain of the Oberland in Berne, which stretches 

 from the Gemmi and the Diablerets to the lake of Geneva. 



Monte Rosa was called by the ancients Mons Sylvius, a name which 

 was afterwards conferred on its neighbour, Mont Cervin. The name 

 of Monte Rosa seems to have been first given to it by Scheuchzer, in 

 his Itinera Alpinam 1702 — 1711 ; and Baron Welden thinks that it de- 

 rives its name from the roseate tints which the first rays of the rising 

 sun throw upon its whitened summits. 



The summit of Monte Rosa has not yet been reached by any traveller. 

 One Maynard pretended that he had reached the summit on the 13th 

 of August, 1813; but it is evident from his own account, that the 

 point which he attained was very far from the summit. In 1817 Pro- 

 fessor Parrot of Dorpat, along with M. Zumstein of Gressonay, made 

 two attempts to ascend this mountain, but both of them failed. 



In 1819, M. Zumstein performed the interesting ascent of one of its 

 southern summits, which we have published in our first number. He 

 made a second ascent in August 1 820 ; a third in August 1821 ; a fourth 

 in July 1822 ; and a fifth in August of the same year ; an account of all 

 of which is published at the end of Baron Welden's work. 



After Baron Welden has given an account of the various triangula- 

 tions connected with Monte Rosa and the Swiss Mountains, he gives a 

 table of the height of the European mountains which have been accu- 

 rately measured, and which is too valuable to be omitted. 



FIRST CLASS. 



Paris feet. Paris feet. 



Mont Blanc - - 14,764 Monte Rosa, 4th Peak - 12,984 



Monte Rosa, 1st, or highest Peak 14,222 Sth Peak - 13,650 



2d, Peak 14,154 6th Peak - 12,984 



3d, Peak 14,028 



