Evening star., 1924-03-16

and Crawford. should set forth the
same day.
1t was already evident that what
ever we We're to do would now have
to wait for the weather. Though the
Lama at the Rongbuk monastery had
told us that the monsoon was usu.
ally to be expected about June 10,
and we knew that IL was late last
year, the signs OF its approach were
gathering every day. Mount Everest
could rarely be seen after 3 or 10
am. until the clouds cleared away
in the evening, and a storm approach
ing from the vert Rongbuk glacier
would generally sweep down the val
ley in the afternoon.
Though we came to despise this
clustering phenomenon-for nothing
worse came OF IL than light hail or
snow, either at our camp or higher
we should want much fairer days for
climbing, and each storm threatened
to be the beginning Of something far
more serious. However, we planned
to be on the spot to take any chance
that offered . .a
The signs were even more ominous
than usual as Finch and I walked up
to camp on the afternoon Of June
3 We could hardly feel optimistic,
and it was soon apparent that, far
from having recovered his strength,
my companion was quite unfit for an
other big expedition. We walked
slowly and frequently halted. It was
painful to see what efforts il cost
him to make any progress. However,
he persisted in coming on.
\ = ~
WE had not long disposed ourselves
comfortably within the four
square walls of our "sangar," always
| a pleasant change from the sloping
sides Of tent, when snow began to
fall. Released at last by the west
wind which had held it back, the
monsoon was free to work its will,
and We soon understood that the
great change of weather had now
come.
Fine. glistening particles were
driven by the wind through the
chinks in our walls, to be drifted on
the floor or on our coverings where
we lay during the night, and as morn
ing grew the snow still fell as thickly
as ever. Finch wisely decided to go
back. and we charged him with a
message to Gen. Bruce, saying that
we saw no reason at present to
change our plans. With the whole
day to spend, confined and inactive,
we had plenty of time to consider
what we ought to do under these
conditions.
We went over we'll worn arxu-
ments once more. It would have been
an obvious and easy course, for which
no one could reproach US, to have
said simply, The monsoon has come
This is the end of the climbing sea-
SON. 1t is time to go home" But
the case, We felt, was not yet hope
less. The monsoon is too varis BILE and
uncertain to be so easily admitted as
the final arbiter. There might yet be
good prospects ahead OF US.
1t was not unreasonable to expect
an interval Of fine weather after the
first heavy snow, and with eight or
ten fair days a third attempt might
still be made. In any case, to retire
now, If the smallest chance remained
to us. would be an unworthy end to
the expedition. We need not run our
heads into obvious danger. but rather
than be stopped by a general esti-
mate of conditions We would prefer
to retire before some definite risk
that we were not prepared to take or
simply fail to overcome the dinicul-
ties.
After a second night OF unremit.
ting snowfall, the weather on the
morning of June S improved. and We
decided to go on.
Low and heavy clouds wore still
floating down the east Rongbuk xla-
cier. but precipitation ceased at an
early hour and the sky frightened to
the west. 1t was surprising, after
all We had seen OF the flakes passing
our door, that no great amount of
snow was lying on the stones abou,
our camp. But the snow had come
on warm current and melted or
evaporated. so that, after all, the
depth was no more than six inches
at this elevation t17,5o0 feet). Even
on the glacier We went up a Ione
way before noticing a percepuhie
increase OF depth.
We passed camp 2, not requiring
to halt at this stage, and were we'll
up toward camp before the
fresh snow became serious impedi.
ment- 1t was still showing up here.
though not very heavily. There vas
nothing to cheer the gray scene. The
clinging snow about our feet was 80
wet that even the bexf NJ c,,r hn~%~