12 s. ix. NOV. 12, 1921.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 395
Mules on Mountains (12 S. ix. 354).—On March 16, 1889, I crossed the Paramo de Mucuchies, in Venezuela, at an elevation of 13,648 ft. above the sea, with a survey party.
Several of the men were sick, some lying down in the road and vomiting with what is called, locally, the "mal de Paramo" or "sickness of the summit."
The mules, however, although carrying an average load of about 2001b. each, did not appear to suffer.
I may say that I travelled a regular trail for mountain traffic, between Chachopo (8,431 ft.) and Mucuchies on the other side of the pass (9,777 ft.). The distance was 40 kilometres, about 25 miles, and was traversed in one day's march, with a rest or two. The elevations are given from my own notes and calculations, but correspond closely with others. Lat. about 8° N.; temp. 40° Fahr. at noon, on the summit. A little snow near by, and snow peaks in the distance. At 12,200 ft. was a house, and ploughing going on for wheat on the hill-side. There are, I think, many higher mule-tracks than the one I give, viz., nearly 14,000 ft. C. Corner.
Mules are, in the Himalayas, occasionally taken up to the altitude of 18,000 ft. or perhaps even still higher, on their journey to and fro between India and Thibet, and I should have taken my mule to this height or a little above when I made the ascent of the Doukia Pass on the frontier of Thibet some years ago, though in consequence of an accident among some rocks, the result of an avalanche caused by an earthquake, I had to leave him below and substitute a pony. Mules and ponies suffer very little at this altitude, which is about 3½ miles above the sea-level, provided they are not over-loaded, though their breathing in consequence of the rarefaction of the atmosphere is of course very laboured, there only being at 18,000 ft. just about half the amount of oxygen in the air they breathe as at sea-level. Large herds of yaks graze at 16,000 ft. to 17,000 ft. for a few weeks every summer on the Himalayas. Other wild quadrupeds are found up to even 20,000 ft. among the snow. W. Harcourt-Bath.
Plymouth.
"SHALL" AND " WILL " IN A. V. (12 S. ix. 271, 313). In 1 Peter iv. 8, I think the significance of the words is identical and purely expressive of the future. " Will cover" is less archaic than " shall."' I remember an aged Cumbrian lady who wrote to a relation with young children, " You shall know how soon little feet wear out shoes," or words to that effect. The R.V. has " love covereth," which seems to alter the meaning of the passage. ST. SWITHIN. RUDGE FAMILY (12 S. ix. 311). In The European Magazine for July, 1820 (published, doubtless, on Aug. 1), the periodical from which your correspondent's engraved portrait has been taken, is an article upon the Rev. James Rudge, D.D., F.R.S. It is almost four pages in length, and cannot therefore be quoted, but some essential particulars may be given. He was born at Groom Hall, near Yate, Glou- cestershire, April 27, 1785, th> son of a highly respectable solicitor, who was also coroner for the county. He went to Crypt School, Gloucester, and received nearly the whole of his classical education from his uncle, Thomas Rudge, who in 1820 was Archdeacon of Gloucester and Chancellor of the Diocese of Hereford. He went to Pembroke College, Oxford ; he became B.A. " at the usual time " ; M.A., 1814 ; D.D. 1819. In 1809 he became minister, and shortly afterwards lecturer of Lime- house, where he still was at the date of the article. He was also Sunday evening and Friday evening lecturer at St. Lawrence Jewry, and domestic chaplain to the Duchess of Kent. In 1812 he married the only daughter of Thomas Drane, Esq., of Limehouse. DIEGO. CULCHETH HALL (12 S. ix. 291, 336, 358). I should like to thank R. S. B. for his para- graph re Culcheth Hall. My informant who told me about the two copies having been printed is a member of the Withington family. She says * ; an antiquarian and author spent several months compiling the history of Culcheth Hall from ancient documents and deeds, which were then kept in the ' muniment room.' Two copies only were printed, one retained by the author, and on his death sold with his valuable library. The other he presented to my father (Capt. T. Ellames Withing- ton, J.P.), which he lent to a triend who mislaid it. We had several small books with interesting references to the Hall and these were lent to a plausible man who professed to be writing a history of the old halls of Lancashire, and again they were not returned." The two books may of course be those
