BOURRIT, MARC THEODORE Swiss mountaineer, the son of a watchmaker at Geneva, devoted him self to the exploration of the Alps. In the years 1784-85 he was the first traveller to attempt the ascent of Mont Blanc (not conquered till 1786), but neither then nor later (1788) did he succeed in reaching its summit. On the other hand he reopened (178 7) the route over the Col du Geant (I 1,o6o ft.), which had fallen into oblivion.
His chief works are the Description des Glacieres de Savoye (1773 ; English translation, Norwich, 1775-76), the Description des Alpes pennines et rhetiennes (1781) , and the Description des cols ou passages des Alpes (1803) .