ANNALS 
OF 
PHILOSOPHY. 
FEBRUARY, 1817. 
Artic_e I, 
Narrative of a Journey from the Village of Chamouni, in Switzer- 
land, to the Summit of Mount Blanc, undertaken on Aug. 8, 
1787. By Col. Beaufoy, F.R.S. 
"THE desire of ascending to the highest part of remarkably elevated 
land is so natural to every man, and the hope of repeating various 
experiments in the upper regions of the air is so inviting to those 
who wish well to the interests of science, that, being lately in 
Switzerland, I could not resist the inclination [ felt to reach the 
summit of Mount Blane. One of the motives, however, which 
prompted the attempt was much weakened by the consideration that 
I did not possess, and in that country could not obtain, the instru- 
ments that were requisite for many of the experiments which I was 
anxious to make; and the ardour of common curiosity was dimi- 
nished when I learned that Dr. Paccard and his guide, who in the 
year 1786 had reached the supposed inaccessible summit of the hill, 
were not the only persons who had succeeded in the attempt; for 
that, five days before my arrival at the foot of the mountain, M. de 
Saussure, a Professor in the University of Geneva, had gained the 
top of the ascent. But while I was informed of the success which 
had attended the efforts of M. de Saussure, I was told of the diffi- 
culties and dangers that accompanied the undertaking ; and was 
often assured, with much laborious dissuasion, that, to all the usual 
obstacles, the lateness of the season would add the perils of those 
stupendous masses of snow which are often dislodged from the steeps 
of the mountain, together with the hazard of those frightful chasms 
which present immeasurable gulfs to the steps of the traveller, and 
the width of which was hourly increasing. M. Bourrit, whose name 
Vor. 1X. N° I. G 
