New-York tribune., 1890-05-23
MOUNTAINEERING.
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.

AMONG THE SELKIRK GLACIERS of " immn
PIP. o5l Macmillan & Co.
With commission and some heip IN lhs.Iu-
ments from the Royal Geograph1cai oocie'S' ',
Green undertook work OF exploration "Hi0n
might we'll have daunted less en'husidsuo anu
vel, nroctised member of the Alpine Club, namely,
the survey of part of the SelkirK Range III U'e
Rocky Mountain region OF BRUSH Nolu",'i"'
JIappily for the general reader, IN relating his
experences he sinks his purely scieh'l"o Pio
o.edings as much as possible, and dwells upon
those personal details and descriptions OF diHi-
entities encountered and dangers overcome or
;aa ,,b;cb constitute the chief interest and
attraction of this kind of adventure. Ire a"ohor
os ooconnanied by we-chOsen frlcnd. whose
,,ourta;neerino capabilities and social QUALITIES he
Nd testcd thoroughly in other lands. This seicc-
,ior WAS no doubt, of supreme Importance 10
tho sucoess of the expedition, for, as Mr.. Green
s,ys. .NIanv a man whose acquaintance IS mos'
valuable whose help from a scientihc point OF
Wow would be great aud whose company on
short exuedition might prove dchgh'1ul, won"
nerbans not be the one 10 work WIN WHICH ho'
only the body is worn out with fatlgne ou' "i'e',
the mind is too tired TO preserve us usual WV
IN outward circumstances. Those VINO h'Ne ''N
exnericnce of prolonged expeditions, where ni."
arc inscparably thrown together, ana nave
endure hunger and thirst, fatigue ana sieepie9'
ricbts in company Will understand whao ''iS
means Those who do not understand ~ i"
hotter think twice the subject pelorc s' ''-'7
on such an expedition" But MI "ie'" N
his companion They had worked 'os''"''
Switzerland. land had attained TO the sio"o -
of nerfection-that OF being able to squaooie WIZ"
impunity." o tror, Fu-
The travellers brought no assistance from '-"
.l,nd
rome. and found, when they reacheo 'h''
of operations that it was next 10
hire any one to go with them ohc Vet'' ''.
,,inecr nearly engaged himself, but oacNeo o"'
W ,.r;nr that tbe explorers were parsons,
ror be argued that it would be Incumbent on Elm
,o refroin from swearing in their presence all"
,rcb a restraint for a whole month would be TOO
rcb for him Headquarters was estabhshcd a'
the Glacier House. on the Canadian racine hhi'-
,yov' between 1000 and 5000 feet apoVe tue
Goa level and no time was lost In ge''ihg 10 "oiN'
From the outset the difficulties OF inc N'".ui'
showed themselves. In the first place inc "i'''
of this mountain region was NOT oNlN uhSui''N'
but unexplored. More than half the peaks Nisi-
bIe from the Glacier House had never beeh h''i""'
Nobody knew how 10 approach the more lhPo''",'
mountains. or the glaciers Nobody khc" we
character of the country few niles l'o"i ,"'
hotel and when that character was ueNCioPo" ~
the explorers themselves, 1t proved 10 pe ""'"V
=. d;eicrlt as any region could offer. or course
the entire absence of previous Kno"
rou,es and directions rendered the undertaking
ten times more arduous than mountaineering III
sucb n country as Switzerland. where everything
:; onnad ont Here moreover the country was
.,otical,v virgin and any one who has traN"ilco
:, tho unopened northern regions oil 'mS COLI
tinent understands the significance ol 'ha' aPP'1
entlv innocent term in this connection
Ono thing this volume cOncusiVey proves ana
that is. that Green and his companion are w
contionally endowed far as endurance Piu'h
"a oo,sistenco are concerned: for we can recall
No record of similar work surpasSing thers III
the hard labor. discomfort and heart-brcaIAS op-
stacles encountered. As an illustraaoh' 'aNo
their tremendous struggle TO Get at the LAZY "i"-
cicr. To approach it they had to MAKE thelr way
olorc a steep ravine or canon. through which a
Glacier torrent roarcd. AT tie cage OIL 'ie
stream the walking extremely difficult nut
,ho could NOT climb the steep hill because II was
,ovored with n thick growth of elders 50 cloSeiN
.c,,ed that every foot made had literally 10 nc
forced through the Jungle. Yet. at Intervals the
orrent-path would end abruptly. ana In an s"ch
cascs il was necessary to take 10 the hlii' Ht'io
a wav by sheer gymnastics through 'he elu''
growth and then climb down again to the stream
To add 10 the excitement, The wooded mountain
side was thckly clothed with an agreea ne plah'
called devils club" which is garnished WIN
a special variety of thorns, making woands when
foster and il was almost lmp0sslD.e 10 avon"
these thorns Beside, this, there were many pearS'
and while these did not prove aggressive VIC
freouent evidences of their proximity mus' H''c
hoIned n make things lively. Yet. in such work
the two friends seemed to have thought ll''e OF
nassinq from twelve to fourteen hours n day. ana
tlax rptir clePrfUllN
s1.erng chaos in little shelter-tent ana sleep
tho sleep of innocence with sharp-anglcd boulders
a;rc;nc into their ribs and backs. Wien they
roocbed the snow and ice, Of course. The DANGER
outveiphcd tie toll, though that continued heaNS
enough. When only TWO persons are III company
The help of the connecting rope must DC gie'~S
diminished. for a sudden and severe JERK upon one
Is very likely 10 carry away the o'her. -V'''-
tbeless. they clung together Loyalty, ana cut l''
stems along glacier walls, and crawled over snow
BRIDGES and made their WAY up ID PeiIo"'
,eaks frnred with overhanging cornces oi sho"
and ice and Jumped crevasses, ana ellsN''f" uo"h
snow slopcs and once narrowly eS'"P'u "'"-
.;on IN an avalanche they had unwittingly started.
On another occasion they found 'he"is'i Vs.
after seven days' work, on certain peak thcy
had aimed for and having taken opSerV'''onS'
photographs. sketches. etc, II became necessary
10 return for the sun was sinking l"oN "'
realized that they were much eNhauS''u' ""''
that the prospect before them was disconra2lhs'
so they sat down to rest. They had nothing u
eat but Mr. Green searched his pockets anu
found a single cigarette and little paper oi 'c"'
Whereupon he gave the tea 10 his lrehd, Wo
ate il. and he smoked the cigarette himself; ana
thus nightly refreshed the pucky pair started
on their difficult and perlous downward Journey
not reaching their camp until II o'clock t'a'
night. ard having to find it in darkness so IN
tense that they could not see their hands before
them. Nor are these isolated examples OF the
kind of work which had 10 be done. We might
cite another expedition. in which "cayuse'
pony figured prominently as almost outdoinS IN
difficulties those above referred TO- The "cayuse
carried the packs OF tire party They had WIN