86 FIELD COLUMBIAN MuUSEUM—GEOLOGY, VOL. I. 
P] 
three Indian guides.”’ The date of this ascent he does not state, but 
from the context one may infer it was in May, 1881. He also quotes. 
an interview with General Grant, in which the latter stated that he 
had climbed the mountain while stationed at Ameca during the Mex- 
ican war. He did so, however, only after a great deal of difficulty. 
March 20, 1885, Prof. A. S. Packard, with three guides, ascended 
the volcano to the crater, and has published a paper giving at some 
length his observations.* He states that he found the ascent more 
fatiguing and difficult than that of Pike’s Peak or Mount Shasta. 
Two companions who had undertaken the trip with him were obliged, 
at the snow line, to return, owing to sickness induced by the altitude. 
Of the ascent made by.the Expedition of the Academy of Natural 
Sciences of Philadelphia, April 17, 1889, both Prof. Heilpriny and 
Prof. Baker{ have published full accounts. They were accom- 
panied by five guides and carriers and climbed to the Pico Mayor or 
highest point of the mountain. This point was first attained, as. 
has been stated, by the Glennie brothers. 
During the year 1894 the geologists of the Mexican Geological 
Commission, Messrs. Jose G. Aguilera and Ezequiel Ordofiez, made 
an extended survey of the mountain from a geological standpoint, and 
their investigations have given the fullest knowledge yet obtained of 
its intimate structure. These scientists spent forty-eight hours in the: 
crater, though as they say, czerto detenimtento, and ascended the Pico: 
Mayor. 
Numbers of tourists have, of course, ascended the mountain who: 
have given no account of their trip, and probably an equal number at 
least have made the attempt but failed of reaching their goal. I was. 
told while in Ameca that at least thirty or forty every year make the 
attempt. 
It would be interesting to determine whether the greater number 
of ascents made in recent time as compared with the few of earlier 
years, indicates that an improvement has taken place in the condition. 
of the race, or whether the failures of early travelers were due largely 
to imaginary fears. It is probable, however, that the latter is the 
correct explanation. The following table shows the determinations. 
of the altitude of the mountain which have been made by different 
observers: 
*Am,. Naturalist, February, 1886. 
+Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1890, p. 255. 
+A Naturalist in Mexico, p. 104. 

