66 Tableau of High Asia. [No. 1, 



may state, that for short periods of ten or twelve days, man may con- 

 siderably exceed this height, not without suffering, but at least with- 

 out positive injury to himself, During our explorations of the Ibi 

 Gamin glaciers, August 13th to 23rd, 1855, we encamped and slept 

 during these ten days in company with eight men at very unusual 

 heights. During this period, our lowest camp was pitched at 19,326 

 ft. — the greatest height at which we ever passed a night : — another 

 was at 19,094 ft. ; two camps exceeded 18,300 ft., and the remainder 

 ranged between 18,000 and 17,000 ft. Apart from the extreme ele- 

 vation and consequent cold, the bodily exertions imposed upon us 

 during our stay, proved a great tax upon our powers. Once we cross- 

 ed a pass of 20,439 ft., and three days earlier, August 19th, 1855, we 

 had ascended the flanks of Ibi Gamin to a height of 22,239 ft. This, 

 as far as we know, is the greatest height yet reached on any mountain, 

 though considerably below that to which man has arisen in balloons. 



On the Sassar peak we attained (August 3rd, 1856) an elevation of 

 20,120 ft. As early as 1818, however, the brothers Alexander and 

 James G. Gerard ascended (October 18th) a peak in Spiti 19,411 ft. 

 high, not far from the Porgyal, or Tazhigang. Subsequently, August 

 31st, 1828, Dr. James G. Gerard reached 20,400 ft. 



From Captain T. G. Montgomerie we learn, that a station of 19,979 

 ft. has been reached twice by Mr. W. H. Johnson, and another of 

 19,958 ft.* in height by Mr. W. G. Beverley. Mr. Johnson took, 

 besides, observations in liadak at one station more than 20,600 ft. 

 high, the greatest altitude yet attained as a station of the Trigonome- 

 trical Survey of India. f A trigonometrical mark has even been erect- 

 ed on a point 21,480 ft. above the level of the sea, "but unfortunately 

 there was not sufficient space to put a theodolite on it." 



In the Andes, Humboldt ascended the flanks of Chimborazo (June 

 23rd, 1802) to a height of 19,286 ft. ; this being the extreme elevation 

 attained at that period. Some years afterwards (December 16th, 1831), 

 Boussingault reached, on the same peak, a height of 19,695 ft. J 



In the Alps, my brothers Adolphe and Hermann once remained in 

 the Vincenthutte, on the slopes of Monte Rosa, fourteen days at a 



* See this Journal, 1861, No. II., pp. 99, 110. 



f See this Journal, 1863, No. II., p. iii. 



J Humboldt's " Kleinere Schriffcen," p. 157, 



