New-York tribune., 1910-12-24
MOUNTAINS AND FLOWERS
The Delights of the Alpine
Climbers.

THE DoLOMITEs By S. H. Hamer
With sixteen illustrations in color :, b!
Harry Rountree. 12mo, PIP. So5. The
John Lane Company
SUMNER FLOWERS OF THE HIGH
ALPS BY Somerville Hastings. Illus
trated, pp- s.. E. p. Dutton & CO.
More and more every year the judi
cious travellers who do not love auto
MODELLING less but the glories of nature
more are spending some enchanting days
or weeks among the wonderful mountain
ranges of the Tyrol and Northern Italy,
known as the Dolomites. We know of
no region which is more satisfying to the
lover of scenery. Mr.. Hamer says that
II is the delight and despair Of the artist
many a painter has testified to the
truth OF the fact that much Of this
scenery is SO unusual and unexpected
that one feels disposed to regard 1t as
wild exaggeration when faithfully repro
duced on paper Or canvas, while the
rapid changes effected by the play of
light and shade on the diversely colored
rocks make 1t almost impossible for even
the quickest worker to get more than an
impression OF the scene set before him. "
Those magnificent peaks of magnetism
limestone take on coIors at sunrise and
sunset which can find justice neither in
paint nor words. The vision of such
beauty is good for the soul. For many
years the region was little traversed; it
remained almost as primitive in it's GUS
toms and its highways as In 1879, when
it was first described by the Marquis de
Dolomieu, who gave his name to these
ranges. Nowadays there are fine roads
throughout the district, and automobiles
are much to the fore-not altogether to
the liking Of old-fashioned travellers
who remember the leisurely Journeys be-
hind good horses that meant an oppor-
tunity TO gaze their fill at beauty
wronged by a fleeting glance through
automobile goggles.
Mr.. Hamer. whose enthusiasm is ad-
mfrable, has spent much time afoot
among these mountains. and his expert
ences have been, on the whole, enviable.
Food was not always procurabie at the
moment it was wanted; sometimes the
luggage forwarded by post wagon was
delayed, with embarrassing consequences
to the pedestrian. But these minor dis
comforts We're not worth talking about
in the face of such solid joy as noun
tain climbing In the Dolomites offers to
man of taste. To one who has once
trOdden these paths Mr.. Hamer's book
will he a welcome companion, a re-
minder Of delightful hours. The reader
S.fo looks forward to the expedition will
find here a wealth of valuable sugges-
tion and a contagious enjoyment.
Alpine climbers who are also botanists
or flower devotees will discover an indis-
pensable friend in Mr. Hastings's charm
ing book Those who have gathered the
exquisite Alpine blossoms on the noun
tain slopes of Switzerland-even out of
the edge Of the snowdrift, as has been
the happy fortune of the writer-will be
grateful for the text and pictures. which
recall hours OF purest pleasure. The
illustrations. reproduced from photo
graphs in color, are almost without ex-
ception remarkably faithful to the
lovely tints Of the growing plant The
author notes that one of the chief diff
culties which the photographer has to
contend with on the Alpine heights is
the wind, the waving plant not adapting
itself to long exposure. Other amateurs
VIII read with interest his excellent plan
for screening his dainty sitter