The Washington bee., 1907-06-01
COLD IN THE TROPICS
ryyERIENCE OF FRENCH EXPE-
plTION IN WlLDS OF ANDES.
Average Height in Which Explorers
Lived and Worked Was 1900
Feet Above Sea Levei-Hard
to Secure Servants.

pr-ss-A scientific expedition which
"a .raat six years in the wilds of the
,,r.- has Just returned to France and
ror Bourgeois. its chief, has given
-,rra ramarkable details of its expert
o-.a- Ir was organized to make a
80 set of observations from which to
-s-a. the length Of a degree on the
.-r.-.--rhe unit upon which the
r-sr.r standard of measurement and
the metric system are based.
The site chosen for the work was
che -..ahb0rhood of Quito, Ecuador.
7. r- SD high up in the mountains
that although in the very center Of the
.,r-aH zone the men lived under arctic
.,rr-..us. The party consisted of ten
ANN stoned and p nOncOmmissioned
o#car- With three exceptions the
entire party spent the entire six years
=, -r. work. One of those who gave
NV urs C0mmandant Massenet, who
o-a....f Col Bourgeois at the head of
ths expedition
rnr.rass was one of the things the
mon had to- fight hardest against.
Tbev lived to a large extent amid
fields of snow and ice. The country
5aro~ them was often invisible from
rr9ra- hanging about the mountains.
YET their situation differed from that
of arctic explorers in this respect, that
tbev knew thousands of people were
within comnaratively easy reach. The
.surrarf0n to descend to the seacOast
cities was therefore almost irresisti-
bic at times.
Of course the men did not spend the
whole time in the mountains. This
Vorrd have been almost impossible,
because they had not merely the vigOr
of the cold to- contend against but also
the enervauug effects of the rarefied
atmosphere of the mountains The
average height at which they lived
and worked was 1900 feet above sea
level Cooking was difficult at that
elevation and the proper feeding of
the men vas one of the most difficult
problems Another practical difficulty
vas securing servants and laborers.
The natives consented to go into the
hills only at high pay and on urgent
persuasion and they deserted at the
least pr0vocation. The winters were
especially trying. Bands of wolves
wandered about the camp and de-
voured the refuse thrown out even to
old leather straps and the wornout
saddles of mules and horses.
Notwithstanding the obstacles. "A
gsodetc stations were erected. A
chain of geodetc and astronomical OBJ
seTvad0ns covering the entire six
years was secured, including the estab-
HshmenJ of the meridian of Quito, |
with the nearest approach to scientific !
accuracy that is possible. The re-
naming error it is said, is infinitesi- |
NAL The result Of the observations |
was not worked out. This is to be !
done in Paris now by a corps Of sci |
eatists.
The expedition cost a good deal of
money. Besides the pay of the mem |
bers the French government contrib
uted 10000 francs CS8.OOO). The bal
ancs of the expenses, about $4,000, |
has been subscribed by Prince Roland |
Bonauarte.
While the members of the eXpedi-
ton confined themselves strictly to
their mathematical work, Dr.. Paul |
Ryet, staff surgeon in the French |
army who was detailed as its medi- |
cal attendant, made a remarkable col !
lection of photographs Of the country |
md people and brought home also an |
Invaluable chronological gathering Of |
native implements and fabrics.