. mouktains. 85 
giving, on the decline of day, in. these deserts, without 
^ without assistance, and even without the certainty 
ren 1*''® w' the places which tliey proposed to 
acn, and still pursuing their career with unshaken intre- 
’ 5' > ‘t seems impossible to admire too much their 
strength of mind and tlieir coursge.” 
, company departed, at seven the next morning, to 
^ tliird and last platform, the slope of which is 
- cine y steep, being in some places tliirty-nine degrees, 
rt terminates m .precipices on all sides ; and the surface of 
snow was so hard, that tliose who went foremost were 
slon?*^ e ^"n feet witJi hatchets. The last 
'hiili a ^ pie.->ents no danger; but the air possesses so 
h;mst-il rarity, that the strength is speedily ex- 
neces^ir "" approaching the summit it was found 
^enth ^ P^ces to take 
x^A^\ • they reached the top of the mountain, 
j continued tour hours and a half, during which 
• de Saussure enjoyed, with rapture and astonish- 
and soKK extensive as well as the most rugged 
have ren a" niade those observations which 
A lio-i ^ expedition important to philosophy, 
air conr-i ^rispended in the lower regions of tlie 
obiects sight tlie lowest and most remote 
•fte whole France and lAimbardy ; but 
lieared assemblage of high summits ap- 
niornino- reachca P^*'ty, and the next 
As they had taken without the smallest accident. 
tFcir faces were Pyecauiiou to wear veils of crape, 
1’lie cold was not ‘icr t^'eir sight debilitated, 
was de.scribeii bv Dr piercing as it 
the hygrometer on expenments made with 
teas found to • summit ct the mountain, tlie air 
that of ® portion only of tlie humidity 
Saussure imont'^'* i diyness of the airM.de 
panions exupr’*^^ j ^^rirst which he and his com- 
^verSdZ.T"^*^- balls of tlie electrometer 
ft required ^ aod die electricity was positive. 
Geneva fiftee ^ ■ *'*'■ to make water boil, wliile at 
"hirteen at th*' ®i’^teen minutes sufficed, and twelve or 
e sea side. Not any of the party discovered 
