West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1877-11-24
On the Top OF Ararat.

The London Spectator, speaking of tn,
recent successful ascension of Mount
| Ararat by Mr.. Bryce, says:
Mr.. Bryce has given 10 the world d
wonderful word picture Of that amazing
and awful spectacle, of that landscap,
which is now what il was before man
| crept forth on the earth, the mountain.
which stand about the valleys rs they
stood when the volcanic fires that piled
them up were long ago extinguis. ed
but he could not tell us what were his
thoughts, his feelings there, what the
awe aud yearning that came over him i'm
that tremendous solitude, where Nature
sits enthroncd, serenely calm and
speaks TO her children only in the storm
and earthquake that leveled their dwell.
ings in the dust
His vision ranged over the vast ex-
panse within whose bounds are the chain
of the Caucasus, dimly made out, but
knzbek, Elbrus, and the mountains of
Daghcstan visible, with the line of the
Caspian Sea upon the horizon; To the
north, the huge extinct volcano of Ala
Coz, whose three peaks inclose snow
patched crater the dim plain of Erivan,
with the silver river winding through il !;
westward, the Taurus ranges; and north
west, the upper valley of the Araxes, to
bo traced as far as Ami. the ancient capi-
tai of the Armenian kingdom; the great
Russian fortress of AlcXandropol, and
the hill where Kars peaceful
enough when the brave climber looked
out upon this wonderful spectacle.
While IL was growing upon him, not
indeed in magniticencc, but in comprc-
hensibility, while the eve was still un-
satisfied with gazing, the mist-curtain
dropped, EMBODIED him, and shut him up
alone with the awful mountain top. 'Thc
awe that fell upon me- he says, with
the sense OF utter loneliness, made time
pass unnoticed, and ] might have
fingered long in n sort Of dream, had
not the piercing cold that thrilled
through every limb recalled me 10 a
sense of the risks delay might involve
Only four hours of daylight remained,
the thick mist was an added danger, the
icc-ax marks were his only guide, for the
compass is useless ON volcanic noun.
tain like Ararat, with iron In the rocks.
The descent was made i'm safety, but by
the time Mr. Bryce came i'm sight of the
spot, yet far of, where his friend had
halted, the sun had got behind the south
western ridge of the mountain, and his
gigantic shadow had fallen across the
great Araxes plain below; while the red
mountains of Media, far TO the south
east, still glowed redder than ever, then
turned swiftly TO splendid purple in
the dying light.
"At six o'clock he reached the bivouac
and rejoined his friend, who must have
looked with strange feelings into the
eyes which had looked upon such won
drous sights since sunrise. Three days
later, Mr.. Bryce was at the Armenian
monastery of Etchmiadzin, near the
northern foot of Ararat, and was pre-
sented to the Archimandrite who rules
the house. This Englishman, said the
Armenian gentleman who was acting as
interpreter, says he has ascended to the
top of Massis' (AraraD. The venerable
man smiled sweetly, and replied with
gentle decisiveness, THAT can not he.
No one has ever been there. 1t is inn
possible"