200 



NA TURE 



[June 2S, 1S94 



elevations ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 feet above the 

 sea, occasionally even up to 20,000 feet, and some of them 

 accomplished the ascent of a peak approximately 23,000 

 feet — the highest summit which man has reached. But 



Fig. I.— The Ogrc*s Fingers, Biafo Glacier, 



mountain climbing was far from the only purpose of the ' 

 expedition. Mr. Conway surv-eyed the district, and has 

 made many important additions to and corrections in 

 the map which was constructed, about thirty years ago, 

 by Colonel Godwin-Austen, after a journey— for that time 

 — hardly less adventurous. He got together considerable 

 collections, and noted, with the eye of an expert, the 

 archaeology and other peculiarities of this remote region. 

 A supplementary volume, to be issued in the course of a 

 few months, will contain reports on the zoology, botany, 

 and geology, and on the other scientific results of the ex- 

 pedition. The separation of the two parts is to be 

 regretted, but was probably almost inevitable. 



Incidentally, however, Mr. Conway tells us something 

 of the natural history and geology of the mountain 

 regions, and a note on the latter subject has been com- 

 municated recently to the Royal Society. This part of 

 the Karakoram-Himalayas evidently consists of strips of 

 sedimentary rocks infolded in crystalline masses, and 

 often resembles the Alps of Europe not only in structure 

 but also in mineral characters. Many of its glaciers are 

 enormous ; for instance, one proved to be forty miles in 

 length ; others are hardly less ; their ice-falls sometimes 

 are even more formidable than those in the Alps. This 

 Mr. Conway attributes not so much to their greater 

 steepness of slope as to the irregular form of their beds. 

 They lie among peaks which often range from about 

 22,000 to 26,000 feet above sea-level, and in one case — 

 the nameless K2— reach 28,278 feet. The snow-line, 

 however, is much higher than in Central Europe. In 

 the middle of April, at the beginning of his journev, Mr. 

 Conway found the snow lying thickly below 13,006 feet, 

 but later in the season an elevation of 15,500 feet in his 

 district seems to correspond roughly with that of 8000 

 feet in the Alps. Ijut in this respect, evidently, there is 

 considerable variation ; for the " col " between the vast 

 Hispar and IJiafo glaciers is only 17,600 feet above the 

 sea, while further to the east, passes on the route from 

 Varkand to I.ch rise to this height, or even more, and 

 are almost free from permanent snow. 



The first-named pass entailed the longest march over 

 glacier and snow, for it occupied the explorers from July 11 

 to July 26 ; but the greatest height above sealcvcl was 

 NO. 128;. VOL. 50] 



reached at the head of the Baltoro glacier. Here, on the 

 flank of a huge mountain, called the (.".olden Throne, the 

 party encamped for five nights at stations from iS,2oo to 

 20,ODofeet above sea-level, Mr. Conway sleeping twonights 

 at the latter elevation, and he 

 ascended, in company with Mr. 

 Bruce, one of its peaks ^Fig. 2). 

 This, according to a barometric 

 observation, is 22,600 feet in 

 height, but by its level com- 

 pared with K2 it should be not 

 less than 23,000. On several 

 occasions they reached eleva- 

 tions ranging from 17,000 to 

 over 19,000 feet, and frequently 

 camped out above the level of 

 Mont Blanc. Thus they had 

 exceptionally good opportuni- 

 ties of observing the elTects of 

 diminished atmospheric pres- 

 sure. Their experience fully 

 bears out that of Mr. Whymper 

 in the .\ndes, though it atifords 

 some interesting dilTerences in 

 detail, while the effect produced, 

 as usual, depended much upon 

 the individual ; it also seemed 

 to vary with the environment. 

 Occasionally the attendants suf- 

 fered at from 1 3,000 to 14,000ft., 

 but, asa rule, the Europeans and 

 stronger members of the party were not materiall) affected 

 till about 15,000 feet, and then but sligiitly, unless they 

 spent the night on the spot. This, it will be remembered, 

 accords with Prof. Tyndall's experience on Mount Blanc. 



% 



(y 



/ 



Fig. 3.— Pioneer Peak (Golden Thron:) fr.>m about 30,700 feet 



The usual symptoms were felt : panting for breath, and 

 (|uick, irregular action of the heart after the slightest 

 exertion, with headache, more or less nausea, and a 

 general sense of extreme lassitude and exhaustion. The 



