FIVE MONTHS IN THE HIMALAYA.
Five Months in the Himalaya. By A. L. Mumm. (E. Arnold. 21e. net.)—A very fine photograph, which serves as frontispiece to this volume, shows us a view of "Trisul from the South-West.' The ascent of Trisul was, indeed, the great achievement of the expedition. Mr. Mumm, who is very modest about his own achievements and capabilities, did not share in it. He took part in the first attempt, and reached an elevation of 20,000 feet, where the party camped for the night. A few days later Major Bruce actually accomplished the feat, with two Swiss guides and a Gurkha. They started from a camp of 17,450 feet elevation et 5,80 a.m.—an earlier start at 4 a.m. had been given up because the cold attacked feet and hands too severely—reached the °amp spoken of above at 10 a.m., and got to the summit a little after 4 pen. The elevation is put at 23,400 feet, not absolutely the greatest height reached, but very near. It should be noted that neither the Swiss—the brothers Brocherel—nor the Gurkha showed any signs of distress. The book is full of interesting things, besides the mountaineering narratives ; there are notes of the characteristics of the Swiss and native auxiliaries, and of other curious things, sheep, for instance, which are not thought meta of as mutton—Mr. Mumm thinks with justice—but are prized for their wool and as beasts of burden. "They are rarely to be seen on the road without their two compact little bags of salt or borax strung across their backs, each bag containing five pounds weight at least." One great charm of the volume is to be found in the magnificent photographs of mountain scenery.
Previous page
