New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-04-01

many of the mamlals the descendants of which
ara scattered over the earth. Next year the
museum will send out biologists and a motion
picture photographer, and in 1923 Psychologists
and anthropologists will follow.
The Royal Geographical society is pushing ahead
It's plans for the conquest Of Mount Everest, the
highest mountain In the world, the summit OF
which no white man has ever reached. The main
attempt VIII be made next year. Sir Francis
founghnsband, the president Of the society, has
announced that Col. Howard Bury, who has trav-
eled much in Asia, has been chosen to lead this
years expedition, with Harold Raeburn In charge
of the actual reconnaissance of the mountain. Mr..
Raeburn has just returned from a reconnaissance
OF knngchnnjunga. a mountain in the Himalayas
with an altitude Of 2S,l46 feet. The society Is also
hoping to secure the services next year of Briga-
der General Bruce. the originator of the idea OF
ascending the mountain.
The ascent Of Mount Everest is impracticable
for many years at least, In the opinion Of Henry
+. MOntagnier of Terre Haute, Ind, who has made
many ascents in the Himalayas, the Rockies and
the European Alps, and has attained the highest
attitudes. He says:
Il have no hesitation In predicting that Everest
will certainly not be conquered by the first party
that makes the attempt. In my opinion 1t will
take years, each party ~profiting by the experience
acquired by its predecessors and each gaining a
thousand or more feet on the previous record. One
thing Is certain, and that is that the conquest Of
the highest peak In the world will be far and away
the most terrific test Of endurance human beings
have ever undergone. The journey TO the north
or south pole, as far as physical effort and moral
courage are concerned. would be mere childs play
compared with the ascent of a mountain more
than $4,000 feet high. The highest altitude yet at
tanned is about 24,60O feet.
1--WE know that the number of feet an active
climber can ascend per hour diminishes with the
altitude. Thus, up to 10000 feet an average climber
can ascend about 1000 feet an hour over easy
ground without exhausting himself. Above 23,OOO
feet the ascenslonal rate falls below 300 feet an
hour even for exceptionally strong climbers. What
1t would be at 27.D00 feet no one can say without
experience.
Judging by wtat we know of the dimlnution
Of the ascensionai rate of strong climbers above
$1,000 feet, 1t would seem doubtful whether It
would be possible to ascend more than 100 or $50
feet an hour above 27,OOO or $1,000 feet. And,
moreover, these figures are based on the supposi-
ton that the party meets with no great difficult
ties, such as powdery snow. high wind, steep
rocks, sickness. etc"
The one south pole exploration. now on the
way, seems important. 1t is the British Antarctic
expedition, headed by Commander John Lachlan
Cope, fellow of the Royal Geographical society
and formerly Of the British navy. 1t has been
financed for $75O.OOO, and there will be five ships,
125 men, several ~airplanes and extensive wireless
apparatus. The object Is to circumnavigate the
Antarctic sea, make a dash to the south pole, 10
cate new whaling grounds and map fields that are
supposed to be rich in gold, silver, coal and rubIes.
Plans have been made for an absence Of five years.
DIR. Donald b. Macmillan, veteran Of six trips to
the Land of the Midnight Sun. heads the list OF
Arctic explorers. He Is building at East Booth
bay, Me-, the schooner Bowdoin for an expedition
scheduled to start in July. Under favorable wealth.
er conditions the Bowdoin should reach Fury and
Hecla strait early In September. There the ship
will be frozen in. Leaving their vessel under
guard the party will push forward on sleds drawn
by dogs. Doctor Macmillan expects to establish
a camp 100 miles south of Etah. In northwest
Greenland, from which he will try TO circumnavi-
gate Bafin Land and to penetrate LOO miles OF
its western coast, said to be the longest stretch Of
unknown coastline In the world.
-Four expeditions are In progress In Africa.
namely, the British Natural History museum ex-
petition to penetrate the secrets of the west coast
and of the Jeb-Maria mountains; the effort of the
duke of the Abruzzi to find the source of the Webb
Shebell river. which flows from Abyssinia through
Italian Somaliland into the Indian ocean; the en-
genealogical tour Of the Belgian portion Of Tan
ganyka and the Eastern Congo. by I. A. Barns.
who explored the Ituri and Semlki forests, finding
a strange race of pygmies and making a wonder
full collection of moths and butterflies, and the
Mackie chronological expedition into Central Africa
to study the Bahima, one Of the chief pastoral
tribes of Ankole, a district west Of Uganda.