Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-16
nashville, May IS, 1875.
THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN THE
WORLD,

NASHVILLE, May IS, 1875.
THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN TIL
WORLD.
New York Sun.
For many years past Mount Everest, il
| that portion of the great HImalaya rang
which occupies the western part of the
strange kingdom Of Nepaul, immediateI
/ north Of India, has been regarded as the
highest mountain in the world. 1t il
| known to the Nepaulese as Gaurisankar
! but the English named it Everest, in homo
| of distinguished officer of the British In
| dian typographical survey. Its snOW-cap-
| ped summit is 29,0U2 feet, or nearly five
miles and half, above the level of the sea
| Of course no one has ever assembled 10 this
height, but its altitude, like that of the
| lofty peaks of the Himalaya, was ascer.
| tanned by triangulatiOn; and until the pres
ent time it has not been supposed that any
higher land existed on the earth
If the news be true, however, which has
lately come to us from the more distant
East, there is a loftier peak than Mount
Everest in the great island of Papua or
New Guinea. This vast region. extensive
enough to form six States as large as New
York, is as yet almost wholly unexplored,
except along its coasts. Lying close 10 the
equator, where the Indian Ocean and the
Pacific meet, it is the home Of the caSsO-
wary and the bird Of paradise, a
country grand in its scenery, rich in its
vegetation, and Astounding in curious and
beautiful forms Of animal life-the verita-
bic wonderland Of the globe. An attempt
to explore the unknown interior Of the is
land was made from Torres Strait, which
separates it from Australia, by Capt. J. A.
Lawson in the year 1872; and if we may be-
lieve his published narrative Of the journey,
which has just appeared in London, he ad-
yanced several hundred miles inland, and
about midway between the north and south
coasts discovered a mountain 32,IS3 feet
high, which he named Mount Hercules.
The height of this mOUntain-OveT six
miles-is not the only remarkable thing
about it. Its apparent elevation is but
little less than its actual elevation; for, in
stead of rising from a lofty table land like
the plateau Of Central Asia, il stands in a
comparatively low plain about 1900 feet
above the ocean, and this gives a clear rise
Of more than $4,000 feet above the sur
rounding country. The traveller standing
at its base could look up and see its snowy
peak towering $4,000 feet Skyward from
where he stood. Under such circumstances
the altitude of a mountain is appreciated.
Capt. Lawson tells US that he undertook
the ascent, formidable as il appeared. He
did not reach the top, but we believe the
achievement which he relates is unparal-
leled in the records Of mountaineering. Ac-
cOmDanied by one servant, he set out from
the foot at 1 o'clock in the morning. They
passed through dense forests in the first :, 900
feet Of perpendicular progress, found the
limit of tree growth at Il, 900 feet, aud by 9
O'Clock had reached a point 1900 feet
above the sea level-almOst as high as
the famous MatterhOrn. 4 thousand feet
higher was the snow line, and they all be-
gaa to suffer from the cold. As they press
ed on, drOWsiness began to overcome them.
"NOthing was visible but snow Of the most
dazzling whiteness. Every peak and
crag was covered with il, and il
hung over the edges of the cliffs in
long fleeCy masses" Their eyes were al
feCted by the glare, and they felt them
selves growing more and more lethargic.
'At length blood began to flow from our
noses and ears says Capt. Lawson, " aud
my head ached in a distraCting manner. l
saw that our only chance Of preserving life
was to retreat without delay; for we were in
a pitiful plight. Our lips and gums, and
the skin Of our hands and faces were
cracked and bleeding, and our eyes
were blOOdshOt and swollen to an
alarming extent. The Thermometer had
sunk to twenty-five degrees below the
freezing point, and the air was so ratified
that,we were gasping rather than breathing.
Our slaves fell from our grasp, and We
could not PICK them up again, so benumbed
were or arms and hands. 1t was now
O'Clock, and the greatest elevation we had
attained was 1854 feet
They then turned back, descended 10 the
limit Of the snow in three hours, and ar
rived at their camp at the base Ofthe noun
tain about half past seven in the evening.
Thus, in fifteen hours and half, they had
assembled an absolute height of $4,000 feet,
to an elevation which we believe is greater
than any ever before attained 10y man upon
the surface of the earth, although balloon
lists have occasionally gone higher.
These are wonderful stories, and the read
er may desire to know whether We alto
gether trust in their authenticity aud ac-
curacy. The fresh, spirited, and interest
ing narrative in which we have found them
- pADllolACA y OllC Vi tAlC lAloot ltNlthoAS
firms in London, and is put forth as a gen
uine book Of travels. The authors account
of the fora, the fauna, and the inhabitants
of New Guinea, contains much that is
marvellous, and that certainly has
hitherto been unknown and unsus-
pected. Some Of his statements,
also, are difficult TO reconcile with our pre-
viOusly acquired knowledge concerning thu
of-.rag.r-F.v,a.g- -
narrative is likely to be regarded much as
We should view the testimony Of 4 single,
strange witness to a startling fact; we do
not disbelieve it, but we should like to hear
some cOrrObOrative evidence. This viii
probably be afforded by subsequent explOr-
aiiOnS.