MOUNTAIN EXPLORATION, RECENT. 



543 



that the so-called "puna" can be resisted by 

 mental effort and confidence, the only effects 

 upon a properly trained person being those of 

 increased lung-action. The glacial covering of 

 the central Chilian-Argentine Andes is, as a 

 whole, widely different from the Alpine type. 

 The structure of the highest points is unfavor- 

 able for the collection of large glacier-forming 

 masses of snow. The wind also probably plays 

 an important part in carrying off the fallen 

 snow. At all events, the northwest side of 

 Aconcagua is entirely free for a belt between 

 19,685 and 21,653 feet, although it is there of a 

 trough-like construction, affording a good hold. 

 Elsewhere, the conditions of position and in- 

 cline favorable for the retention of extensive 

 ice are wanting. Dr. Giissfeldt discovered, 

 however, one ice-stream, in the head of a side- 

 valley of the Cachapual, called the Cajon de 

 los Cipresses, which is filled with a magnifi- 

 cent glacier, named the Ada glacier, nearly 

 twelve miles in length. The highest peaks 

 but rarely show a continuous snow-cap, as the 

 common formation of abrupt crags leaves the 

 naked rock almost everywhere exposed. Cre- 

 vassed snow-fields and broken glaciers are 

 common phenomena. Peculiar formations of 

 the upper snow, locally called " periitentes " or 

 pilgrims curious ice-figures modeled by ex- 

 posure to the sun are noticed as occurring at 

 the bottoms of high snow-valleys, in a zone of 

 from 11,483 to 13,779 feet, and on the unfur- 

 rowed snow-slopes. As regards the snow- 

 line, its mean altitude is estimated at 13,779 

 feet, between 32 and 33 south latitude; 11,- 

 483 feet in 34 ; and 13,123 feet 10' farther south. 

 Altitudes in the Himalayas. Hermann von 

 Schlagintweit Sakulinski, in the last volume 

 of his journeys in India and high Asia, give^ a 

 table of altitudes, including statements of the 

 heights of the most elevated mountains. The 

 elevations are not extraordinary south of the 

 Himalayas, the most marked ones being four 

 mountains from 11,000 to 15,300 feet high in 

 Assam, and the Sufed Koh peak in the Pun- 

 jaub, 19,839 feet high. The eastern Himalayan 

 district, embracing Bhotan, Sikkim, and Ne- 

 paul, contains what, till Mr. Graham discovered 

 two higher peaks, was the highest known 

 mountain on the earth, Gaurisankar or Mount 

 Everest, which is 29,002 feet high; the third 

 highest, Kichinjunga, 28,156 feet high; and 

 has, besides, thirty-two mountains more than 

 20,000 feet high, and thirty-two of more than 

 10,000 feet high. The western Himalaya re- 

 gion, extending from Kumaon to Hamazara, 

 presents the Nanda Devi in Kumaon, 25,749 

 feet high, as its highest peak, and has, besides, 

 twenty-nine mountains of more than 20,000 feet 

 and one hundred and eight of more than 10,000 

 feet high. In eastern Thibet are ten Alpine 

 stations between Lassa and Guari Khorsum, 

 more than 10,000 feet high, two of them reach- 

 ing to 15,500 and 16,700 feet; and Lassa, the 

 capital, is 11,700 feet high. Western Thibet, 

 from Guari Khorsum to Balti, ranks next after 



the eastern Himalayan regions, having within 

 its boundaries the next highest mountain after 

 Gaurisaukar, the Dapsang, 28,278 feet high, 

 with twelve mountains more than 20,000 feet 

 and seventeen of more than 10,000 feet in 

 height. The highest point in eastern Turkis- 

 tan is the summit of the Kwen-lun, 20,000 feet 

 high. The great passes of the world are in this 

 territory. They include the Kizil Korum pass 

 in Yarkand, at an elevation of 17,762 feet, the 

 Kilian pass in Khotan, 17,200 feet, and the Elchi 

 Davan pass in the Kwen-lun Mountains. The 

 snow-line appears at a height of 15,100 feet on 

 the north side of the Kwen-lun, of 15,800 feet 

 on the south side, of 18,665 feet on the west- 

 ern slopes of the Guari Khorsum, and of 18,010 

 feet on the northern side; and phanerogamous 

 plants reach up to 19,237 feet on the western 

 side. The highest places inhabited by man are 

 in Thibet at a height of between 14,800 and 

 15,000 feet, but higher than these are the Hanli 

 CLdster, 15,117 feet, and theThok Jalang gold- 

 field, 16,330 feet. In all, these mountain-re- 

 gions contain seventy-three peaks more than 

 20,000 feet high, of which seventeen rise above 

 25,000 feet. Dhawalagiri, in Nepaul, 26,680 

 feet high, which was formerly considered the 

 highest mountain on the earth, is remanded 

 to the fifth place, being exceeded, besides the 

 three mountains already named of superior 

 height, by the Sisbut peak, in Nepaul, 27,799 

 feet high. 



Mr. Graham's Himalayan Explorations. Mr. W. 

 "W. Graham gave an account before the Royal 

 Geographical Society, June 9, 1884, of his ex- 

 plorations in the Himalaya mountains, in the 

 course of which he had achieved the distinction 

 of having, with Emil Boss and Ulrich Kauff- 

 mann, his companions, reached a higher point 

 above the level of the sea, in mountain-climb- 

 ing, than any other living man ; his extreme 

 elevation having exceeded by 1,700 feet the 

 highest that had previously been accomplished. 

 After making one attempt, too early in the 

 spring, in which he reached the height of 20,- 

 000 feet, Mr. Graham started on the 24th of 

 June from Nynee Tal with the Swiss guides 

 Emil Boss and Ulrich Kauffmann for Rini, 

 whence he intended to attempt the Nanda 

 Devi. On parts of the road along the Alk- 

 nanda to Rini the track was found to consist 

 of "' a plank or two resting on pegs driven into 

 the rock," beneath which thundered the river. 

 It was found impossible to reach Nanda Devi, 

 on account of a chasm that yawned across the 

 way, 500 feet deep and worn to the most im- 

 passable smoothness, along which no point 

 offered where it could be crossed, and which 

 could not be turned. Mr. Graham remarks that 

 the difficulties of this character in the valleys, 

 before the traveler can get near the peaks, are 

 among the most formidable obstacles to Hima- 

 layan exploration. The party then attempted 

 Dunagiri, 23,186 feet high, to which they pro- 

 ceeded by the valley of the Dunagiri glacier. 

 At the head of the glacier, 18,400 feet, where 



