New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-23


i2mo. PIP. xiv. $50. Macmillan & Co.
II is impossible to read this artless narrative
without admiriug British pluck. and hard TO reao
il without some little amusement at the contrast
between the magnitude of the labor which 1t
describes and the modesty of the results Inc
author is a clergyman. After much mountameer-
ing in Switzerland and elsewhere, he met Traveller
from New-Zealand who told him something aooue
the peaks and glaciers of that distant island anu
especially about unscaled summit caiieu -ho""'
Cook, whose head towers above the ice NJ an e',"
ton of IL 800 feet. The conquest OF TINS sp'en"u
peak" seemed to our aspiring preacher "o' az
tempting: so he forthwith made arrar geincn.s ioi
six months holiday. engaged two gnldcs Ill ."
land packed a simple outht ana tooN '"' ~
steamer for Australia 1t was JOURNEY ou' '-'
home again. of 1000 miles. The three coinpah-
:o. 90 tbo ton Of Mount Cook after tremendous
.,ortions bardships and dangers spent ten OF III
,o.u minutes there in = fierce storm (oi cou'so
,,o+,,,c no viewl and than hurried back to Europe
nerfectlv satisfied with their exploit Ole '"iino'
helm regretting that an expedition Whch "o0Oi"
nlisbed snch difficult feat should not nave in"uo
,nore serious contribution to geographical science;
Int we repeat that we like Mr.. Green's Spin" Aio
stolid contempt for physical obstacles lhe super
ori,v m bodily priy ations the delight IN confront
and
carried him through this task, are the QUANTITIES
Ill srhdro thc world These peculiarites are
tboroughly English: so are his philosophical III
adherence 70 cold and wet and hunger; his SOBER
enthusiasm for scenery shooting and solitude; DIS
obstinate insistance upon bathing, or " tuDDng,
as he calls it, at strange times ana places' anu ms
calm. but upon the whole goodnatmed' asSu'i'p''o"
that everything must give way to him. lie mas 'iSo
cbaracteristically English dislike to being DONE
and he had no sooner accomplished MS great le"'
than he plunged with equal ardor and resolution
into a lawsuit with settler who oVerchargeu hin
for the use of team.
The ascent of Mount Cook and Visit 10 the
GREAT glacier AT its base involved tedious journey
through bush and over moraines, beyond the iast
sheen ranges. and the fording OF two dangerous
rivers Our party took horses as far as they could
and then had TO, travel about two weeks a1oOl De
fore they reached the beginning Of the ascent
scramblinc among boulders and sharp-pomteu
shrubs drenched by frequent rams, ana carrying Oh
their backs tents, blankets, PROVISIONS PnoVo
graphic apparatus, ropes, lce-axeS enc ln'S
counod certainly in no great comfort and they
Jared rudey and often scantiy. They took All 'he
bread they could buy at the last settlement anu
when that gave out at the mature age OF twenty
DAYS they kinded fire on the top OF OouIder
and baked loaves on the hot stone. They had some
III.
inc and cut from the bone 10 save the weight
They shot ducks and parrots, which they made into
,opn roasting being wastefu They carried also a
few tins of meat and sardines, few POUNDS Oh
bacon and tca-altOgether about 100 POUNDS OF
provisions, besides 1870 pounds of baggage. 10 pack
such load as this a cruelty rough ground III
a temperature varying from extreme summer neat
10 bitter winter cold, was no childs play; but MI.
Green tells the story cheerfully rs If the march
had been pleasant picnic. When the acIuai
climbing began a'consderabe part of the stores was
deposited in a safe place to serve on the return
tramp. and at the last stage Of the ascent every
thing was discarded except the ropes and axes
The interesting account of the final triumph can
not well be abridged The first attempt, made on
the south side of the mountain, failed Inc second
on the east side was also unsuccessful. Then with
three DAYS provisions, the adventures maze a
hard and crcuitOus march TO the north ana
biyouacking for night amidst the zee lhey
reached the summit over high glacier TO which
MIR. Green gives the name of the Linda once at
-erv dangerous part of the way. they debated re-
treat. but "the 1000 miles Of travelling rose in
tbeir minds as a strong argument" against sur
render and ,hey took the risk. AT o'clock in the
afternoon there was still heavy work to do; RAPID
khaw had set in, not only soaking them Win water
but endangering their return; BAD STORM was
brewing: if they went they must spend the highl
Oh the peak without food; If they turned back theS
would have to 20 far for provisions that 1t would
take them a week to get back TO the point where
they had stood They decided 10 go on. An hours
emitting of steps in the ice in the midst Of violent
showers of hail a furious deafening wind, and
clonds so thick that the men were sometimes
hidden from one another, brought them to the top
most crest The real mathematical summit was
point about thirty feet higher but TO reach 1t would
reouire a dctour of about twenty minutes, ana as
their lives depended upon gaining some sort OF shel-
Ter before darkness set n the travellers agreed 10
neglect what seemed a mere matter OF detail and
begin the descent at once. Going down was much
the most dangerous part of the adventure UIOpIhg
their way backward they reached at last alter
dark a ledge under ridge of rock ana there, with
thousands of feet of crevassed icelope below them
they resolved TO spend the night. The ledge was
only two feet wide, and soped outward, and there
was no chance of a good grip upon the rock behind
Them To sit or move was out Of the question; TO |
fall asleep was certain death. Avalanches fell |
around them all night; the rain streamed down; |
their limbs became numb; they had hard work TO |
keen one another awake When dawn came, "not !
one moment too soon' they doubted whether they |
had strength enough 10 move, or to clutch the Ice
axes upon which they must now depend. Portions |
pf their track were found TO be Oblterated by ava
lanches which had fallen since their ascent; the !
bridge by which they nad cIosSeu an ABYSS was
zone: the snow was horribly soft and dangerous.
When they reached their deposit of provisions cold
duck and ancient crustsl they had not tasted food
for twenty-five hours, in all that time had they
sat down.
I On their return to the settlements they were
treated as con0uerOrs Special correspondents were
sent out to intercept them in the bush; the news
papers were full of their Ascent of Mount Cook;
and public dinner was given in their honor.
Having few days 10 wait before a steamer sailed
IL, tntn1ItiIo,