THE ALPINE TOURISTS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2781, 21 February 1882, Page 3

THE ALPINE TOURISTS.

Mr. Barclay, the gentleman who has been spoken of as the “companion ”_of the Rev. W. E. on his expedition to Mount Cook, returned to Timaru to-day. From him we learn that the party had a rough journey to the foot of the Tasman glacier, losing an express wagon in the river, and nearly losing one of the party and the horses also. A camp was pitched at the foot of the glacier, and the" ice stream was then ascended about fifteen miles. Some : conception of the difficulties of • the journey may be obtained from the expressed opinion . of the guides that to traverse that fifteen miles costas much labor as to alscend any six mountain peaks in Switzerland. Mr Green intends to remove his camp to the spot thus-reached,' and then will begin, the real attack apod the peak.; The camp will be right under the, north-east corner of the peak. If the trouble of. clambering op the steep mountain is all in natural proportion to the difficulty of travelling along the glacier, the' party have, an impossible, task before them, -but* the gentleman, who has returned is confident that if Mount Gook can be scaled, Mr Green’s party will do it. _Mr Green is a practised mountaineer, his two guides are the best that could begot in Switzerland, and they are well supplied with mountaineering . appliances. Should they reach the summit they will of course leave* a durable niemento of their visit, which it will no doul>t become an object of ambition with others to add to. They Have a photographic apparatus, and views will be taken from all commanding points. Scientific observations of various kinds are being taken, not the least interesting of which are observations to determine the rate of flow of the' glacier traversed, as well as the time at disposal will allow, >