The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-08-27
ASCENT OF ARAFAT.

ne mountain OF ARAFAT. situated IN the
northeastern corner of Lesser Asia, In the
province of Armenia Is remarkab, rs being
the spot on which the Ark of Noah rested
during the sulSidcncc OF the flood. Ii i, a
mountain extraordinary for it> magnitude.
beng. at It's highest point. i..26U feet above
the level of the sea. an elevation considerably
higher than that "t' Mont Blanc. 1t >ta,.d~
nearly midway hctwrcn the southern rNtrcm-
Itles OF the Black and Caspian Seas. in 81
I"-rccs and ~ minutes oi north latitude. and
II degrees 50 minutes Of east longitude
/ Though placed Oh the line of the immense
Taurus, which extends from the eastern shore
OF the Black Sea far INTO the centre of Asia.
Mount Ararat stand, ina measure alone,
and has very grand appearance, the other
hills in the nc-hborhuod being too in>iunifi-
cant IN size to hide lis proportions or impair
the majesty OF lis aspect. This yrrlt noun
tam l. divided into two heads. respectively
named the Great and Little Ararat. which
torm distinct cones, separated from each 9TH
er by a wide cha>m or glen The two cones
are about 1000 yards apart at their submits
he peak ot the Great Ararat Is rerpctuallv
covered with snow but the Lesser Ararar
which is nearly 1000 feet lower. is clear ol
snow IN the summer. The plain in which
.Ararat stands is watcred by the AraxrS. Uhc
fskSi OF the nativeS) and at no Great distance
stands the large and populo.s city of kar>.
The people ot Armenia. who have lunr
been followers VI the Christian t,,h. regard
Mount \rarat with the most intense venera-
uon, anL have many religious establishments
III lis Vicinity. They firmly br!c,e, 10 d
man, that the aif % NW Jr.>.rc'd on the toy
oil the mountain; and that, in order To pre-
serve 1t, the ascent of Ararst has been PRO-
hibltcd 10 mortal>, 10y divine decree, since
the time OF Noah. The origin OF tins traii
tonary belief. which Is sanctioned 10y III,
church, and has almost become an art;,.l,. of
Armenian faith, Is said 10 bt s> follows:
\ monk in former times. who was anAio..,
to settle some doubts relative 10 the .riitura
account of Noah, resolved for this lur,v>,. I,
ascend 10 the top OF Ararat, To satisfy himself
whether the Ark was there On tie ,lc,ii.in
of the mountain he had several times fall,r
asleep from exhaustion. and on awakening
always found himself carried back 10 the yer,
spot from which he first started At lcu.ji
out of pity. an angel WAS sent To him viii
the Information that he had entered on an
imprarticabic task but at the same time. hi:
zeal was rewarded hv divine present of d
piece of the ark This piece Is to thi, day
preserved aS the Ino>t valuable relic in ia,
ncig ghborng convent OF EJ>chmiad>in, til,
seat OF the patriarch or primatc OF the Churcl
OF Armenia
Numerous other traditionarv stories ar,
current respecting failures i'll attempts 10 a>
ccnd Mt. Ararat, and puni>Lmcn;> hcfallin-
the prc>umptuous adventures. Nevertheless,
few persons, We believe, excepting The Armc
uian people. will be inclined 10 iuubt the >c
racitv OF the Russian Professor DR. Friedrich
Parrot, who describes his having a>c ended IL.
mountain in the year 1929. and whose mar
ratiye of the adventure supplies the >uhi"inc,
; particulars.
On approaching Mount Ararai from tn
: convent ot Et>chmiad>in. where he had bee,
most hospitality entertained. Professor Parro
, seems 10 have been inIrc>>r! w;h emotion
similar to those which the Holy Land i,.,,.
= iAiis TO call up IN the mind Oi CHRISTIAN tray
: clcrS. y thunderstorm cnycluIcI Ararat 10
: a moment, but the rolling OF the thunder
saws the Professor did not disturb me: en-
t Enthusiastically INDUCED now in the contcmpIa
: ton OF the country spread before me, tn
: longcd for goal oi NV Undertaking, now il
, deep reflections on ali ancicnt period rrplct
with the most intcrc>tn. historical events
; How could it he otherwise: was at Ia
: foot Of Mount Ararat, the mountain oi the pa
. lriarch Noah"
= AT the convent ol' St. James. situated ul
, the sloping base OF the mountain, ProtcS>o
: Parrot received a kindly welcome from th
ho>pitable priests and there made prcpara
, tons for the ascent The difficulties of tn,
: task, he was aware, were great, as -Ararat IL
: addition 10 its height, is remarkably steep
Though the priests expected no good i>>llc i
such an undertaking, they threw no obstacle
in the way
| ION the 18th OF September, 1929. at sever
o'clock in the morning. | set ont on NV Jour
: ney. accompanied by NJ >chirmaun ",
took with us one Of our Cu>Si,ck>. anI "A peas
ant OF Arguri, who WAS a gopl humi>n.ai....il
our route was first in the bottom of til. val
. lcy--iLtermediatc between III" treat an,
little cones-thcn up it> ri.ht accliyity to
wards a spot where there are two small -tou,
houses standing close to each other: liz ola,
formerly a chapel, and the other bull, a.
protection for s.rin. which Is consilcrcl
sacred"
: There is a tradition attached to Til -I,rin,
: The country of Armenia l. subject to incur
sionS from locu>r>, which com" in innncn>,
: swarms, and in one dav will lay in vast,
whole tracts of land. These creatures cal
neither be dispersed nor destroyed exrcp
10y one bird, which also visits the country il