Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-06-01
From the New York sir.
The Highest Mountain in the
World.

For many years past Mount Everest,
in that portion of the great Himalaya
range which occupies the western
part of the strange kingdom Of Ne
paul, immediately, n6rth Of India,
Ills beali tegdrded as the highest
mountain in the world. 1t is known
to the Nepaulese as Gaurisankar, but
the English named it Everest, in hon
or of distinguished officer of the Brit
ish Indian typographical survey. It's
snow-capped summit is 29,0Q2 feet, or
iiearly FIVE miles and d Edlf, above
tile level 81 tie sed. Of course no one
has assembled to this hight. but its al
titude, like that of tie lofty peaks of
Himalaya, was ascettaineu by TRAN
guIation, and until the present Tins
it has not been supposed that any
higher land existed on earth,
If the iiews be true; however,, which
has lately come to US from the more
distant East, there is loftier peak
than Mount Everest in the great is
land of Papua or New Guinea. This
vast region, extensive enough TO form
six States as large as New York. is as
vet almost wholly unexplOred, except
along its coasts. Lying close to tile
equator, Where the indian ocean and
the Pacific meet, 1t is the home of the
cassowary and the bird OF paradise, a
country grand in its. scenery, rich in
its vegetation, and Astounding in Curl
Gus and beautiful forms of animal life
the veritahle wonderland of the
globe. An attempt to explore the un-
KNOW interior of the island was made
hiah a tnG
it from Australia, by Capt j. A. Law
son, in the year 1872; and if we may
believe his published narrative of the
journey, which has just appeared in
London, be advanced several hun
bred miles inland and about midway
between the north and south coasts
discovered a mountain 80, 1873 feet high
which he named Mount Hercules.
The height of this mOunJain-oVeT
six mil3-is not the only tetiiarkable
thing about it. Its apparent elevation
is but little less than its actual eleva-
ton; for. instead of rising from lofty
table land like the plateau of Central
Asia, it stands in a comparatively low
plain about 1000 feet above the ocean
and this gives clear rise of more than
60, 900 feet above the surrounding
country. The traveller standing at its
base could look UP and see It's snowy
peak towering 10000 feet skyward
from where he stood. Under such
circumstances the altitude Of noun
tain is appreciated.
Cant. Lawson tells us that he tider-
took the ascent, formidable as it APP
peared. He did not reach the top,
but we believe the achievement which
he relates is unparalleled in the records
of mountaineering. Accompanied by
one Servant, he set out from the foot
at o'clock i'm the morning. They
passed through the dense forest in tine
first 1000 feet of perpendicular prog
ress, found the limit of the tree GROWTH
at | / Goo feet, and by 8 O'Clock had
reached q bOiiit 14,DO0 feet above the
nous MatterhOrn. A thousand feet
higher than the snow line, and they
all began to suffer from the cold. AS
they pressed on, drowsiness began to
overcome them. Nothing was WISH
bic but snow of the most dazzling
whiteness. Every peak and crag vas
covered with it, aud it hung over the
edges of the cliffs in long fieecy mass
es." Their eyes were affected by the
glare, and they felt themselves grow
ing more letbargic.
fAt length blood began to flow from
our noses and ears" says Capt. Law
son. land my head ached in a dis
tracing manner. | saw that our on
~ chance Of preserving life was to re-
treat without delay; for we were in
pitiful plight Our lips and gums,
and the skin of our hands and faces
were cracked and bleeding, and our
ewes were bloOdshot and swollen to an
alarming extent Tie Their nmeter
had sunk to twenty-five degrees be-
low the freezing point, and the air was
so rarified that we were gasping rath-
e. than breathing. Our slaves fell
from Dur hands. It WAS now O'Clock
and the greatest elevation we had at
tanned was 1914 feet F."
They then Turned back. descended
to the limit Of the snow in thee hours
and arrived at their camp at the base
of the mountain about half past seven
i'm the evening, Thus. in fifteen
hours and half, thew had assembled
an absolute height Of q. COO feet. to an
elevation which we believe is greater
than any ever before attained 10y man
upon the surface of the earth, although
ballOonist5 have OCCASIONALLY gone
hic her.
These are wonderful stories, and The
reader NAV desire to know whether
we altogether trustin their authentici-
" aud accuracy. The fresh. spirited,
aTd interesting narrative in which We
have found .heul il published by enc