Evening star., 1924-03-09
BY CAPT. GEORGE FINCH.

BY CAPT. GEORGE FINCH.
"A N ORNING broke fine mad clear,
I" though somewhat windy, and
at o'clock We set of up the
long snow slopes leading to-
ward the northeast shoulder Of
Mount Everest. twelve porters carry
ing oxygen cylinders, provisions for
one day, and camping gear.
An hour and a half later Bruce,
Tejbir. and 1 followed. and In spite
of the fact that each bore a load Of
over thirty pounds, which was much
more than the average weight carried
by the porters, we overlook them at
q height of about 24,5O0 feet. They
greeted our arrival with their usual
CHEEKY, broad grins. But no longer
did they regard oxygen as a foolish
mans whim; one and all appreciated
the advantages of what they naively
chose to call English air."
Leaving them to follow, we went
on. hoping to pitch our camp some
where above $4,000 feet. But shortly
after o'clock the wind freshened UP
rather extensively and 1t. began to
snow. Our altitude was 25,50o feet.
some 500 feet below where we had
hoped to- camp. but we looked round
Immediately for q suitable camping
site, as the porters had to return to
the North Col that day, and persist
ence in proceeding farther would
have run them unjustifiably into dan
ger. This 1 would under no circum-
stances do, for / felt responsible for
these cheerful, smiling. willing men.
VINO looked up to their leader and
placed in him the complete trust of
little children.
AS 1t was. the margin. Of safety Sc
cured by pitching camp where we did
instead of at a higher elevation was
none too wide; for before the last
porter had departed downward the
weather had become very threatening.
A cheerful spot in which to find space
to pitch tent 1t was not; but, though
L climbed q couple of hundred feet
or SO farther up the ridge, nothing
more suitable was to be found, Re-
membering that wind Is felt moro
severely on the windward side Of a
ridge than on the crest, a possible
position to the west Of the ridge was
negatived in favor Of one on the very
backbone. The lee side was bare Of
any possible camping place within
reasonable distance.
Our porters arrived at pm, and
at once all began to level Off the lit
tie platform, where the tent was soon
pitched, on the very edge Of the tre-
'nendous precipices falling away to
the East Rongbuk and Main Rong-
buk glaciers, over 1000 feet below.
Within twenty minutes the porters
We're scurrying back down the brok-
en-, rocky ridge toward the snow
slopes leading to the North Col, sing
ing, as they went, snatches of their
native hillside dittiea. What splen-
did men,
Having seen the last man safely
BJI looked to the, security Of the
Sropes holding down the tent, and
Joined Bruce and Tejbir inside.
@as showing hard. Tiny, minute
d1es driven by the wind pene-
sed. everywhere. 1t was bitterly
=, so we crawled into our sleeping
&SA, and, gathering trotnd us all
aiabie clothing, huddled up to-
hAr as snugly as possible.
Tith the help Of solidined spirit
melted snow and cooked L. warm
fdsM, !, which impaired some small
fb1esure of comfort to oue chilled
Lies. A really hot drink was not
puurable, for-the simple reason that
asuch an altitude water boils, At
low. a temperature that. one can
Smerse the hand In It without fear
being scalded. So. = r.
Cover a post-prandfum cigarette
uce and discussed. our prospects
~ success Knowing that no man
ksn put forward his best: effort un-
14s, his confidence Is an established
not the trend Of my contribution to
tbs conversation was chiefly: .Of
E6prse, we. shall get to the top" :, 80,
EAfter sunset the storm rose to a
gale. a term / use deliberately. Ter
zinc gusts tore at our tent with such
ferocity that the ground sheet, with
it's human burden, was frequently
lifted MP. of the ground. On these
occasions. our combined efforts were
needed to keep the tent down and
prevent It's being blown away
+ ** +.
4 LTHOUGH we had blocked up the
few very small openings in the
tent to the best Of our powers. long
before midnight we weue all thickly
covered In q fine frozen spindrift that
somehow or other was blown In upon
us, insinuatihg ito way into sleeping
bags and clothing. there to cause
,acute discomeoFt. Sleep was out Of