New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-01

tremendous And the few living things when
dwelt on the mountain sides the crafty and
sure-footed ibex were often overwhelmed by the
mass As the caravan halted one day among
the Cargo Mountains discussing what was best
10 be done I'm view Of the miserable hImilava"
weather a sudden crash was heard lar up
ncighborng couloir. or ravine, In the side OF the
mountain Then came the booming roar Of the
,rrro, ching mass Of Ice which had fallen from
,h. cliff which overhung the coulOir. But after
tho first outburst IL seemed nterminabe tim"
until the avalanche sreamed into view. IL
passed downward In two enormous bodies SUI
denly one Of the sharp-eyed Ghurkas In the party
cried out "Ibex hex and soon four OF these
creatures were deserted. Apparently they had
been caught beneath the Ice Gill, as all were
dead Yet these animals were found 10 be eN-
t,en,olv careful about starting avalanches. and
they krcw Just what to do 10 avoid disaster
once when the climbers Of the party were as
ccniing a sharp peak which overhung the snail
uhura Glacier they caught sight Of a group OF
four jbex one was not half grown The wlid
creatures appeared to be much surprised as
th. mon at the meeting. They stood on the
rocks about three hundred yards away ana
,,azed at the strangers and after n long look de-
cided 10 retreat They started to cross wall
~ the mountain which Was heavily encunb'red
with snow I'm a dangerously loose condition II
was most Interesting 10 watch their clever ma
noeuvres. and TO see how carefully th'y "Noiu'u
cutting furrow across the snow They jumped
from spot to spot taking advantage "f every
rock that protrudcd through the surface Now
they would 60 straight uphill ana now sTaRht
down. To secure safer passage. The lttle ono
was hard pressed To get across. It's mother
watched II over the worst part ana then com
noscdlv went on her way. one hard place stopper
th, kid for about a quarter Of an hour' ana
almost ended its for In it's desperate s'rus
CLOS +, started an avalanche. from which 1t
barely escaped
The difficulties Of life at such attitudes as those
Of even Himalayan valleys were felt by mr. con-
way 10 the fun extent The peaks were not al
ways the most difficult places t. get breath on.
one Of the most troublesome places was small
inclosel valley scarcely 5000 feet above the
So, Here II seemed AZ II the air stagnated I'M
der the fierce heat II the sun at MONDAY Nh"n
the sun WAS hidden 10y thick cloud. the lungs
worked with less difficulty. ana the same WAS
true whenever a slight breeze was felt. MI OPP
preston disappeared as soon AK one SAT u'"''
81 was reminded" remarks Mr. Conway. "ot
The experiences - persons who as'ehd'l M'"'
Blanc In the first half OF this century I"'y
spoke Of the stagnation of the air ana the misery
caused by It, especially in the hollow way or cor
rilor above the Grand Plateau. now uhA''-
stood what they meant. but was even turther
fr,n, b.inE able 70 account for our common sem
satlons than they thought they were Mr..
Conway ascended what he has named crystal
Peak not far from the head u the great Balioro
glacier He and his companions remained on
the summit. 1900 feet above sel-lcvel. f'r an
hour and a qucrtcr AM. 80 long a. they sat
sun could have imagined Themselves ~
sca.level Bu, the absence = conscious dis
comfort was n, evidence that IA" thin at
mospherc was falling 4 lts effect shor; marches
and slow movements becam" a necessity ~ th"s"
high regions When 9, cane 20 ascending the
peak just mentioned the march became slower
ard NOR. lifcul, after the lower slopes were
leN, behind The effect u the sun was *
r.rloncoI time and again Tho travellers f."t
might Do numb with clll while De- himself was
IN danger ~ eunstrlke tn variations between
biting cola anl grllNug heat w.re found - De
th. greatest irup-dimoni t. mountaineering Not
only Ner- the extremes 90 c.lI lnI heat hard
{, ~ lur.. but the daily changes between th-
two seemed - render the whole body feeble.
While - cold. or suowing. or dark. %"
travellers were comfortable enough IN their tents.
Bat with the sun everything was changed. Their"
soon came complaints u headache. one painted
f,r breath u one moved r hold the breath was
sure. q, bring on dizziness. IN other ways th~
appearance = the sun caused Effects that were
Immediately pcrc,ptihlc Tho Thermometer lcaprI
up At least nftecn degrees ana all nature seemed
- be- on the alert In an instant. Usually the
tents were covered with snow that hal fallen In
the night. The naod - llra' over the mountain
tops shot through this translucent cover iu-
parting - everything beneath grccnlsh ungc.
III
icc-crystals az they fell apar, could Dee heard Ike
low whisper. As soon the tent dried %
heat was felt. one morning on tho march from
Cargo to Cilelt there was violent gale The
tents Mapped tni bulgcd ana strained the snow
was whirled from the heights in clouds that
darkencd The sky. But 'In one Instant the wind
ceased. the sun came the edge ~ the hin and
drove the frost away. the brook began h. tlnkle
again. cuckoo called from the birch scrub across
the glacier. and Il burnbebcc droneh around the
tents. more sudden change n would De I'm
possible - imagine Tho Gun was soon too hot AMI
within two hours the temperature which had
been down 70 Is degrees Fahrcnhcit-rosc 10 50
degrees"
All thia had remarkable literary effect on Mr.
COnway's narrative The sun up ~ the moment
~ its departure n ~ him daily something horrld
terrible. uncomfortable. He never mentions a fine
sunrise Eut the suns departure for the nigh,
was 80 welcome that he willingly forgnve the
past and recorded number Of brilliant sunsets
For example. I'm the IIispar Pass. at the head u
the IIispar Glacier already mentioned the sun.
after clearing away the clouds and striking rue
shadows from every one ~ the countless sharp
snow arrtes marrow ridges that rib the Whit.
wall Of peaks To the south Of us. retired beyond
the far valley end and hid himself from our ey cs
but poured such food Of amethyst light along
the valleys furrow that all the peaks around re-
came Ike violet crystals. gllmmerng against a
golden bed Later on. before going TO sleep I
looked out Of the tent door and bcheld an frch
Of silver light spanning the sky. thought It
was the rising moon shining upon some iand ~