The Penn's Grove record., 1883-11-17

They who have mastered the Alps,
} and found them already mastered by
their predecessors, sigh for a new
world, and find 1t in the Himalayas.
There is a singular correspondent be-
tween the two chains. India is the
Italy of ASIA. Each has a magnificent
island for it's satellite. Bombay cor
responds to Genoa, Calcutta to Venice,
Delhi to Milan, while the Oranges and
the Indus are humbly represented by
the Pc and the Adige. Both chains
run from east to west. presenting their
boidest and steepest front to the south.
Both have their ancient and well
known passes. In both cases the most
rugged of outlines and eternal snow are
the horizon of fertile and populous
plains. As to scenery, while the Hima-
layas are more sublime, the Alps are
more beautiful, for they are generally
seen with a surrounding of wood and
water, the latter of which is entirely
wanting in the Himalayas, except out
of sight, at the bottom Of deep gorges.
The Alps and the Himalayas both
throw out long branches east and west,
as if to claim whole continents for their
own. Northward the resemblances
ceases, for middle and northern Europe
supply no p%arollel to the elevated step
pes, the inteTminable deserts, the frost
and Swamp of Siberia. The Himalayas
looked and spoke to the south, and the
railway has brought them within a few
days of Bombay and Calcutta. With
in six months an Englishman may leave
London and return after seeing all that
is most worth seeing in the Indian
peninsula, including the Himalayas, in
d climate as bearable as an average
summer at home. So they who pine
for the distinction of first ascents have
now no obstacle in the way. True
there have been strange tales, or idle
surmises, that at the height of 10000
feet, Oh even less, life is impossible.
Man could not breath there or could
only breath in vain. That, however,
was II of the points to be Investigate
ed, and 1t is understood that a noun
tain climber must be prepared to risk
his life for a sufficient object. Mr..
Graham has not attained an absolute
success; but he has paved the way to
successes. He has demonstrated that
it is possible TO breathe and live at an
elevation many thousand feet higher
than Mont Blanc, and that it is posi-
bic to undergo the fatigue of much
longer and sleeper ascents than those
from Chamounix or Zermatt. He mas
brought the highest peaks of the Hima-
layas within reach of moderate strength
activity and perseverance.
The difficulties Surm0anted by MI.
Graham to within. sight OF complete
success speak well for the courage and
power of race. He had with him
two picked guides from Switzerland.
One of them was an utter failure: and
the other could be ''seedy" and incapa-
bic, He had IA journey of twelve days
to the scene of action, and as he had to
do much of it in rain. it could not but
take some strength out of him. He
had then to ros deep guliies, through
which dashed enormous streams. He
had to make a series OF aScents, pass
Ing oven two peaks higher than Mont
Blanc. After i've days of this work he
had 20 encamp at a still greater eleva-
ton, and send back his coolies, who ate
more than they were worth. After a
climb of some hours on an ascent that
nOolo bC obCOP " onItLClIdIhA l1C Idb
to leave behind one of his two SWISS
guides. He got within sight of a sum
init $4,000 feet high, and would have
reached it but that there suddenly
came on one of those stolms of wind
and snow which it was impossible to
face IN such "a situation. How they got
back safe at ali Mr.. Graham does not
know. They reached the camp, and
had to pass a night III their wet clothes
without fire. After this he tried Nanda
Dew, the Indian Matterhorn, nearly
twice as high as its European brother,
but the coolies again proved faithless.
Recording several failures, he is glad to
note one peak of more than 20, 900 feet
which he assembled, and in which he
sees the earnest of greater acf ieve-
ments. He is still undaunted, and we
catch our last glimpse of him for the
present preparing for the ascent of a
giant I'VE Is, 900 feet, the famous Kin
c%hinjunga. Others, moreover, are on
the track, and if, as seems likely, there
will be IA few failures, Mr.. Graham's
examples leaves little doubt that i'll
course of time, by one way or another,
every peak of this famous chain will be
reached, and will be ever afterward as
ISOLATED with the prowesS of some
young English gentleman anxious to
achieve a bloodless victory over mater
ial difficulties.