The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-02-19
Rates OF Advertising
On the Top Of Ararat.

Thu London Spectator, speaking Of the
recent successful ascension Of Mount Ara
rat by Mr., Bryce, says: Mr.. Bryce has
given to the world n wonderful worc-pic-
ture of that amazing and awful spectacle,
Of that landscape which is now what il
was before man orept forth on tho earth,
the mountains which stand about the val
leys as they stood when the volcanic fires
that piled them were long ago e~xtinguish-
"a; but he could not tell us what were his
thoughts, his feelings there. What the awe
and yearning that came over him in that
tremendous solitude, where Nature sits
,~nthroned, serenely calm, and speaks to her
children only in the storm and earthquake
that level their dwellings in tho dust.
+" His vision ranged over the vast ex-
,ianse, within whose pounds are the chain
~ the Caucasus, dimly made out, hut Kn1-
1ck, Elbruz, and the mountains of Daghos-
ian visible, with tbs line Of the Caspian Sea
upon the horizon to the north, the huge
extinct volcano Of Ala Goa, whose throo
peaks inclose n snow patched crater, the
dim plain OF Erivap, with the silver river
winding through it westward, the Taurus
rJngcs, and northwest, the upper valley OF
she Araxes, to be traced as far as Ami, the
lucient capital of the Armenian kingdom,
he great Russian fortress OF Al~exandropol,
and the hill where Kars stands-peaceful
enough when the brave climber looked out
,tyon this wonderful spectacle.
while it was growing upon him, not in
iced in mGEnifcence, but in comprehend
blity, while the eye was still unsatiShsd
with gazing, the mist. curtain dropped, en-
folded him. and shut him up alone with the
awful m~ountain-top. Tho awe that fell
upon me, he says, with Tie sense of utter
loneliness. made time pass unnoticed, and
1 might nave fingered long in q sort OF
dream, had not the piercing cold that thrill
ed through every limb recalled me to .
sense Of the risks delay might involve.
Only four hours of daylight remained, the
thick mist was an addtd danger, the ics-axs
marks were his only guide, for tho compass.
is useless on n volcanic mountain like Ara
rat, with iron in the rocks. Tho descent
vas made in safety, but by the time Mr..
Bryce came in sight OF tho spot, yet far off.
where his friends had halted, the sun had
got ehind the southwestern ridge Of the
mountain, and his gigantic shadow had fall
len across the great ArRxes plain below /;
while the red mountains Of Medina, far to
the southeast, still glowed rodder than ever,
then turned swiftly to a splendid purple in
the dying light.
AT O o'clock he reached the biVouac and
rrioined his friends, who must have looked
with strange feelings into tho Dyes which
had looked upon such wondrous sights since
sunrise. Three days later Mr.. Bryce was
ut the Armenian monastery of Etchmisdzin,
near the northern foot of Ararat, and was
presented to the aTchimandrite who rules
the house. This Englishman,' said the
Armenian gentleman who acted as inter.
prefer, says he had assembled to the top OF
Mnssis tArarat). Tho. venerable man
smiled sweetly. and replied with gentle do
cisiveness That cannot be. No one has
ever been there. II is impossible"