THE ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2475, 14 March 1882, Page 3

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK.

In yesterday '■ issue we published a graphio account of the successful ascent of Mount Cook by the Rev. Mr Green and his Swiss guides. The following additional particulars, for which we are indebted to the " Timaru Herald," will be of interest : The tent used was of calico, waterproofed with raw linseed oil, which does not harden and oraok, as does boiled oil. It was made with a bottom, also oiled of course, sewn to the sides. Instead of being pitched with upright poles, a oouple of sticks ran down each corner, crossing at the upper angles, and projecting through the tent below. The lower ends of the slicks were driven into the ground, and a oord run along the top of the tent and tied to boulders a short distance from the ends of the tent. This arrangement rendered tent pegs unnecessary, and the tent ODnld be pitched in a very few minutes. The culinary apparatus was very compact and handy, nearly everything paoking into a cylindrical galvanized iron pail, oapable of holding about two and a half gallons. The pail had a stout cover and a stioDg buckled strap, whioh served as a handle for the pail, and to fasten down the oover when paoked. Into the pail fitted first a tripod fire-stand, a little gridiron, and then a series of cooking dishes, into one of whioh four quad ran tal covered oups fitted closely ; then came the " billy," in whioh were placed enamelled cups, and on the top lay three or four enamelled plates ; knives and forks fell in perpendicularly around the sides. The apparatus is very oomplete, and the paoked pail is a veritable multum in parvo. The cuisine apparatus suggests the onisine itself. A quantity of ordinary stores was obtained in Timaru and some bread at Fairlie Greek. The latter is worth speoial mention, inasmuch as some of it was kept in stook for nineteen days and was then quite good. Among the provisions were a few tins of preserved meats, and same of Liebig's extract of beef. The quantity of preserved meat taken was smaller than it should have been, but Mr Green trusted to the information he received at Ohristohurch that he would find plenty of sheep on the spurs of Mount Cook. Owing, however, to the Hooker River having prevented the lessees from crossing sheep to that part of their run, not a sheep was to be seen. Paradise and blue ducks were, however, pretty numerous on the Tasman River, close to the glacier, and the kea, the large green mountain parrot, whose abominably cruel manner of slaughtering sheep by tearing out their visoera through their flanks is well known, was also common, and considerable numbers of both, ducks and parrots found their way into the refrigerating larder, a hole dug in the ice of the glaoier. The guides were capital hands at making soups, and the parrots particularly were in high favor for this purpose. The blue ducks, as usual, were as stupid as noddies, and allowed themselves to be pelted till two or three could be got at eaoh shot. The keas oame about the upper oamp as boldly as wekas, hopping about on the boulders olose to. the fire,and watohing the operation of cooking with, great apparent interest, even, it may be imagined, as if they knew it was a matter of personal interest to themselves. So bold were they that Mr Green killed one with a stick, and knooked over another. The latter got away, however, juid flying off to a bank a hundred yards away, vented his anger, or expressed his pain,' or both, in a screaming volley of "keasl'V A number of others joined this one, and united with the wounded bird in harsh execrations of the invader of their domain. It is worthy of note that thenceforward the keas kept at a respectable distanoe from the oamp, proving almost that they are able to indicate a par tioular danger to each other. A few pukakis and wekas were also obtained, the rich oil of the latter, though rendering them objectionable as articles of food, being found useful for greasing boots.

The tpeoial apparatus for climbing emulated obieflj of the ice-axe, well-nailed boots, and the rope. The ioe-axes may be likened to small pickaxes. One half of the head is a ■pike about three-quarters of an inch square and six or seven inehei long, with a very slight curve towards the hand; the other half is a stout chisel, nearly as long as the spike, widening out at the edge, like a thistle spud, to a width of barely two inohes. The handle is of tough ash, four feet or (out feet six inches long, about as stout as a pitchfork shaft, and the end bears a stout iron spike between two and three inches long. This implement has many uses. It serves as a walking stick io rough or ordinary slippery places; the spike half of the head is useful for taking hold in crevices of rooks or in hard ice, and with the ohisel head are cut the steps in the ioe whioh are so important in Alpine climbing. The last use to whioh the party put their ioe-axes in this excursion was to assist them in crossing the Hooker river on foot, when the three men, tied together twenty yards apart (to cross a furious torrent sixty yards wide) found the ice-axes of great service in helping them to keep a footing among the rough boulders of the bottom. In asoending the party were tied by a rope, about twelve feet apart, and on eaoh new step being cut one man at a time took a step, the others holding by their axes to guard against a slip on the part of the person moving, occasional slips being unavoidable, and the same, and even much greater precautions, are necessary in descending an ice slope. It is evident that the mountaineer's boots must be made with special regard to the work to be done in them. Mr Green wears stout boots of ordinary make, but nailed in a particular .way—stout square-headed nails being driven into the soles in sets of three, the sets being at considerable distances apart. Mr Green started on the trip with a pair of boots specially made of the stoutest leather procurable, and by the time they, reached camp, after the asoent, these were completely cut to pieces, a fact which'may give some idea of the arduous tramps the party had to perform. The scenery about the part of the Tasman glacier and its branches is supremely grand, and both Mr Green and his guides conour in the opinion that it equals, and even exoels, the most famous soenery in the European Alps. The peaks rise higher above the level of the snow fields, and these are more extensive, and under the brighter and clearer atmosphere of New Zealand, present a more dazzling beanty to the observer. Nothing but a visit to these scenes could give anyone a truthful idea of the majestic stateliness of the giant peak*, or of the grand expanses of frozen snow which lie spread around their feet. The avalanohes have already been referred to in another connection, but they must be mentioned as features in the soenery, and at some points they are so frequent and so tremendous that they form very grand and important features of it. Mr Green, we must note, took with him a small photographic apparatus, and took several photos from different points of his journey up to the mountain. Mr Green is a clever sketoher also, and has taken a series of sketches, a number of whioh, finished in water colors in camp, he kindly showed us. These are very instructive, and will eertainly be of immense interest to his friends, the members of the Alpine Olub. The photographs he has not yet developed. The spurs of Mount Oook, below the snowline, are covered .with the peculiarly dense Alpine vegetation, whioh has been well described by Dr Von Haast. Mr Green brought down several specimens which he will show to our distinguished scientist. Both Mr Green and the guides were muoh interested to find a number of plants whioh they recognised as old acquaintances among the Alpine vegetation of Switzerland, and the guides were particularly pleased to find the beautiful, delicate-flowered edelweiss, of apparently the same speoies as the ourious, much-prized fbwer of their native mountains. The plant was in full bloom and the guides plucked several sprays to take home to their friends. Mr Green and his guides arrived in Christchurch by the first train yesterday morning. We understand that Mr Green, on his arrival Home, will write an account of his asoent of Mount Oook for the Alpine Club's journal and his complete narrative of the expedition and description of the mountain and its glacier systems will be eagerly sought for and read by every New Zealander.

G-abe Snodgrass owns a farm near Austin, and Jim Webater asked Gabe the other day what he was doing with his farm this year. ' I has rented it on sheers to Sam Johnaing. He gets half a dollar outer ebery dollar 'he makes outea de farm.' 'But how doea yer know he gibi yer de kerreot amount ob he makes ? He kip keep back some and you will nebber know it." 'Dar ain't joo danger ob dat. Don't you aee the more dollars he brine* in ter; me de more half dollpa he gets t Ton bet he ain't gwine tor keep baok none. Ho.ain't no fool. He wouldn't get no half dollars outen do dollars he would keep back.'