New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-21
IN THE CAUCASUS.
OF AN ALPINE CLIMBER
IN sOUTHEASTERN EUROPE.

MY CLIMBS IN THE ALPS AND CAIcAss, s =
BY A. r. Mummery illustrated Up MI ~"
| Imported by Charles Scribners sons
From the reading Of many books even the un-
| fortunate person who never climbed mountain
and never swelled with any aspirations t. sur
| ,,oun, an unconpuered peak stil feels "a " ne
| Lrey all about the Alps The expert and scduc-
tive nountein-clmber nay sing Of points never
reached before since Alpine clubs were formed
/ and Of now and more dangerous ways 10 the top
| ~ mountains familiar to other lines u travel
| hut the grounding still feels that he has heard
all those eloquent passages before. Thcre are
many novelties among Mr.. Mummerys ad-
ventures In the Alps but the reader Is positive
that something new IL 10 be offered him "heh
he finds that the author has Wandered To 'he
Caucasus For the Caucasus has usually peeN
left TO the native trlbesman or the invading
soldier from Russia or Turkey. The man VINO ~
Alpine in his tastes cares little to wander lie
Ga essentially domestica,cd and is disposed, as
Mr. Mummery says. TO look on the Alps as MS
home.
Rut a splrit Of unrest sezes him sometimes.
end IL was this spirit which drove MT Mui'ncry
10 the foot Of Dych Tau and the flank OF the
ncz,nei glacier where unclimbed peaks looked
down on slopes white with rhododendron when
they were not white with snbw. He had found
already that the worst feature OF the Caucasus
was IFS remoteness from the comforts OF modern
travel. Railway trains carry one TO the foo' OF
tho very Ain which one chooses TO climb. and the
traveller need never be away from oom'ortap'e
inn for many hours at time. But the earliest
bospitalties of the Caucasus were ride on
Tartar saddles which revealed Mr.. Mummery's
Anime guide In the character OF a rank pessim-
let 70 whom all the beauties OF life had become
la, hato fu1
camn with no tent and only meagre fire on
a frosty snowy mountain slope. and supper
on some fragments Of mutton and a loaf OF
Russian bread. The first night on the sides OF
Dvch Tau was so cold that the two travellers
were glad 70 be astir AT in the morning But
the Alpine guide under those conditions
was undaunted He had yet to learn that the
holiness Of Western Europe and the Alps must
he replaced in the Caucasus by an Oriental sub
missiyeness TO the DEGREES OF fate. His first
thought was to walk right 10 the top Of Dycfr
Tau-17 054 feet above the level OF the uncom-
Portable camp. But Mr.. Mummery was sceptical
He was only few days out Of England and had
as yet no confidence In his feet or his knees
The mountaineer was easily dssuaded when he
came face TO face with difficulties which were UNI
like those he was accustomed to meet.
On the way to the foot OF the mountain the
travellers had picked up a Tartar hunter, who
turned out to be typical OF the Caucasian
mountaineers the Swiss was OF the Alpine
peaks He outwaked his Western rival and at
nightfall did what Alpine guide was ever
known to do so far as the records show
shepherd had indicated a certain distant spot on
the mountain side as proper for camp. Doubt
less II was comfortable enough for him. but
when the travellers struggled 10 the place one
after the other they were dismayed to find only
q standing place al the foot OF perpendicular
cliff marked by n sooty line. the evidence OF fire
that no longer blazed. Not faggot was to be
seen, and the shelterless place dripped with the
moisture Of dense mist. The Tartar had van
ished and with him the small tent which he
carried as part OF his load. The Swiss fell into
depths OF misery where even his stock phrase
1T doesn't matter failed him. But an hour or
so later came the Tartar toiling up the steep
through the mist with load OF firewood on his
brbad shoulders. "A bold and kindly action"
exclams the author, done without thought OF
reward for men who had little or no claim upon
him." A little higher up evening fell upon the
travellers. but not until they had a good view
OF the cliffs which were to be surmounted. Here
Mr.. Mummery and his Alpine companion IDLY
took refuge in sleeping bags beneath the tent.
but the hardy Tartar after duly performing all
the pious duties OF a good Mahometan. lay