stone rolled down by Clark. We ar- the arête leading to Mount Haidinger rived about 6.30 at our tent bivouac, from the col between it and Mount and were delighted to find that it was quite dry and uninjured by the wind. The time occupied by the ascent and descent was sixteen hours, out of which we had fourteen and a half on the rope. We were much fatigued, as the whole day had been almost incessant work at step-cutting. Haast. He arrived late in the evening, saying that it was impossible, as there were enormous crevasses cutting us off. We therefore decided that we would go up the Glacier Dome, then, skirting along the plateau under the arête of Haast, finally strike that arête, and thus continue to Haast; then, if there was time, go on to Haidinger. On February 8 Haidinger was success- So we determined to make an early fully ascended. We February 8. - About half past twelve February 6.- This morning I de- Zurbriggen woke us up; we did our cided to send Clark and Zurbriggen best to make an early start of it, but down to the Ball hut for some more everything seemed to block our prog provisions. I told them to come up on ress, and it was not till a quarter past the following day, as there were suffi- two that we managed to leave our cient provisions for me in camp till bivouac. In an hour we were on the then. They left at ten in the morning. last rocks of the Hochstetter ridge. I spent the day in drying our effects, The morning was intensely cold, and and generally arranging and mending the snow in excellent condition. the tent, which was in a most dilapidated condition. As night came on the weather turned bad again; and at nine o'clock in the evening I had to go out and tie an extra rope to the tent poles, fearing that the whole thing, with myself inside, would be blown down the couloir leading to the Hochstetter Glacier. I sat up most of the night, holding on to the tent-pole, when an unusually hard gust seemed to nearly blow the whole thing over. The sides of the tent flapped in the wind, and made a most tremendous noise. February 7.-Early in the morning a stone avalanche came down the couloir near the tent, but luckily none of the stones hit it. At sunrise the weather cleared, and the wind changed, and blew gently from the south-west. In the afternoon Zurbriggen arrived; he had been rather anxious on my account that night at the Ball hut, as he said that the wind blew so hard that he even feared the roof would be torn off the hut. Clark arrived a little later. We now had provisions for several days, so I determined to try Haidinger next. Zurbriggen went out to see if we could go straight across the head of the Freshfield Glacier, and thus reach now turned off to the right, and travelled along the snow plateau for about half an hour. Then we tried to turn up the second couloir from the Hochstetter rock that leads on to the arête going up to Haast. Here we found ourselves cut off by an immense berg schrund, so we had to retrace our steps, and take the arête from the very beginning. Here we were some time crossing a large crevasse by lantern light. Once on the arête we found that the rocks were in a most fearfully rotten condition; the slightest touch would at times bring down masses of stone, and we had to be very careful lest these stones in falling should strike either one of us or the rope. At six o'clock we stopped for a bit of breakfast; the sun had now risen, and the day looked promising. Haidinger appeared most hopelessly far off from here. I took some photographs of it, aud also of Haast from this point. In half an hour we were off again. We went as fast as the rotten condition of the rocks would permit. After we had gone a good way up the Haast arête, we thought we might cut across the face of the mountain, and get on to the head of the Freshfield Glacier, and so to the col we than we thought. Almost all of it was snow, except one small bit of rock halfway between the col and the summit of Haidinger. Just as we were approaching the peak, about a hundred feet below the top, we struck a patch of blue ice. We turned, and bearing away to the left, we gained some rocks. Here a huge boulder was detached by one of us, and it was one of the largest blocks I have ever seen fall; it went down in tremendous bounds till it reached the Fox Glacier; jumping the wished to reach. We accordingly set out to accomplish this traverse, but soon found that we had got ourselves on to a very dangerous place; stones came whizzing by every moment, and we had to run as fast as we could, although the incline was difficult. At last we reached a rib, where we could rest in safety for a few moments. From here we saw that we had to cross the glacier at a point where it was strewn with avalanche débris. Above, some large seracs, just at the col, seemed to threaten to sweep our path. bergschrund, it shot right on to the glacier, and remained standing there alone, far away from any other rocks that had fallen. At 10.20 we reached the summit. The day was a perfect one; not a breath of wind stirred. After we had partaken of some refreshment, and had drunk a bottle of claret (Zurbriggen always insisted on taking a bottle of wine up these peaks, as he said it was so useful to leave as a record of the ascent), we laid ourselves down and slept for about a couple of hours. We now began to discuss what we had best do. It was evident that we could reach the Haidinger arête in a short time from there, but then the mountain itself looked so far off. At last we determined to try it, so we started out, and crossed the head of the glacier as quickly as we could. By about eight o'clock we had passed the dangerous part, and now had to go up a steep slope on to the col. There was a large bergschrund here that rose up with its further lip some ten feet or more above the lower. Here I got on to Zurbrig- I have never seen such magnificent gen's shoulders, and Clark steadied weather upon any peak. I noticed me; then I planted my ice-axe into the that almost all the rocks on the summit snow, and Zurbriggen, putting his ice- had been fused by lightning; they axe under my feet, managed to shove were all cracked and covered with little me up. This was accomplished after bubbles, and blackened over these. I some failures and some rather unpleas- took many photographs from the sumant falls. Once I had reached the up-mit, while Zurbriggen smoked his regper lip, I cut a large step for myself, ulation cigar. At ordinary times he and planting my ice-axe well into the smoked a pipe, but when on the sumsnow, I pulled Clark up; then both of mit of a peak he says he always does us together managed to haul Zurbrig- honor to it by smoking a cigar. At one gen up. We now continued towards we commenced our descent. We came the arête, and in a few minutes we down without incident worthy of record were on it. to where we had left our knapsack, Here a most magnificent view opened just after crossing the worst part of the out before us. All the West Coast, Freshfield Glacier in the morning. It with its green valleys and lagoons lay was then about half past two, and I at our feet; the sea beyond was euvel- stopped to take some photographs of oped in a mass of clouds lying quite these overhanging seracs. We then low, giving the appearance of a vast crossed over without accident to the desert of sand; the sun was beating arête of Haast. We found the rocks down fiercely, and we suffered a good stiil looser now that the sun had thawed deal from the heat. Right at our feet out all the ice that had bound them in lay the great névé of the Fox Glacier. the morning. We had several slight We now commenced the ascent along accidents, and some nasty cuts. the arête; the walking was not bad, half past six we regained our bivouac, and we found that we progressed faster thoroughly wearied from the day's At work. We found the ground unusu-aged to get over them safely. We had ally hard to sleep on that night. to wind in and out amongst these seracs to get through, and although the From the time of his arrival Mount moon gave us a great deal of light we Sefton had been the object of Mr. found it very difficult work. Part of the FitzGerald's ambition. His first glacier hung above us in an ominous attempt was made on January 11, fashion, and as we passed over the in the company of Messrs. Ollivier, débris of former ice avalanches, we Mannering, and Adamson, but the kept looking up anxiously lest some of weather proved hopeless. On Jan- the pinnacles that appeared as if they uary 22 he started alone with were tottering above us should fall. Zurbriggen, arranging with Mr. After a time we came to an enormous Barrow to signal to them from the crevasse about a couple of hundred feet Hermitage in case the barometer in width, which ran the whole width of should fall. So violent a wind, the glacier and blocked us completely. however, rose that they turned This it was impossible to pass, as it back-only to discover too late was very deep, and both sides of it that the day proved fine ! On were vertical. We had therefore to each occasion they passed the skirt along the edge of it until we night in a bivouac just below the reached the rock ridge which rises out snow-line. On January 25 and of the Huddleston glacier, and leads 29 and on February 12 similar to the col between Sefton and the Footattempts were made by them with stool. Here we had to get down into a no better results. On February crevasse to get to the rocks, as the 13 they again reached the bivouac, glacier had broken away to such an and on the 14th the ascent was extent that there was a great deal of made at last. space between it and the rocks. We now found that we were in the path of falling stones. We therefore gained the rocks as quickly as possible, and began scrambling on to the arête. We found the rocks extremely loose and in a most dangerous condition. I have never seen anything like the way in which they seemed to be balanced one on top of another, as if by the hand of man; sometimes the slightest touch would bring down tons of stone. had to be very careful, especially in the rather uncertain light. The rope every once in a while would catch against some stone and bring down whole avalanches of stone. At about February 14. At 12.45 we were off. a quarter past five we reached the last We climbed up towards the Footstool rocks of this arête. There now ex. for about an hour on the glacier, wind- tended before us a long snow ridge. ing our way between huge crevasses extremely steep, leading to the col. which had opened out in every direc- We began cutting steps up this, as we tion since our last attempt. After we found that it was hard ice, and that our reached the last rocks we started out crampons were not sufficiently sharp to to cross the plateau towards Sefton. hold safely to it. They were, how Here we found the glacier in a terrible ever, of great assistance to us, as the condition ; some of the ice bridges steps we cut were very small; in fact, were very thin and treacherous; how- had we not had them, we should have ever, as it was extremely cold we man-lost fully three hours here. February 13. At about eight o'clock we reached the bivouac, and made ourselves comfortable for the night. This time we had the sleeping-bags that Clark had brought up before. The moon rose soon after we arrived and gave most magnificent light, so at about midnight we decided to start. Zurbriggen lit a fire and made some tea; we took some provisions, and I took my camera, and we divided our loads into two rucksacks. We put on our crampons and roped ourselves together at the bivouac, as we knew there was some steep ice just at the start. We The dawn now began to break, and | mit. I assured him that it would get a cold wind sprang up with it from the broken, but I slipped it into my south-west. At half past six we stood pocket. The first bit of rock that we on the saddle between Sefton and the tried was about as rotten as anything I Footstool. The view here is magnifi- have ever seen. The minute we set cent. We could see all down the foot upon it, it began crumbling away. wooded valley of the Copeland leading The arête here is very thin, like a to the Karangarua River and the West knife-edge, and it actually leans over Coast. We could see far out to sea, on the Copeland side. Every time covered with light, filmy clouds. Zurbriggen stepped, and the stones Mount Cook looked most imposing crumbled down, I could feel the whole from here, its ice-cap being just tinged thing trembling. We were intensely with the rising sun. Below us lay the relieved to get off this and to get on to Hooker Valley, still in the dark shadow, the solid part of the mountain, if any and we wondered if our friends at the of it can be called solid. Now, instead Hermitage could see us. As we found of small crumbling stones, we had out afterwards, our progress up to the large boulders, prepared to give way at col had been watched by them from the slightest touch. The side we daybreak. They had seen us cutting started to climb was almost perpendicsteps, and could even distinguish the ular; the greatest care had to be exrope through the telescope which I ercised, especially on Zurbriggen's had left with them. On the Copeland part, as I was necessarily vertically side of Sefton there is a tremendous below him almost the whole time, and precipice going down quite perpendicularly from the col to a glacier very far below. This precipice must be fully five thousand feet sheer drop; the rock arête that leads to the summit of Sefton looked absolutely impossible. In places it seemed more than perpendicular, and in many places it was swept by falling stones. a small stone falling from his feet might have injured me very badly. It was certainly wonderful how he managed, and I have never seen a finer display of mountain-craft and rockclimbing than on this day. In about an hour of this work, we reached a place where it was not quite so steep, and we could advance a little We stopped here for a moment to quicker. In front of us rose what we eat a box of sardines and a few bis- had always thought to be the worst cuits; this being the first halt we had part, looking at it from the Hermitage. made since leaving the bivouac. We Looking at it from where we were determined to leave everything here. now, it seemed worse if anything. I did not take my photographic camera, The rock was slightly better, but, on as it would have hindered me too the other hand, the loose pieces were much, climbing on the rocks. We ex- so much larger, that we had to repected to find our work cut out for us double our care. Zurbriggen now from here, and we certainly did. At crossed over on to the Copeland side seven we were off, in the lightest marching order. We were roped with about thirty feet of Alpine Club rope, and carried besides one hundred and fifty feet of Buckingham's thin cord, tested to bear four hundredweight strain, and a couple of long iron staples with a ring at one end of them to drive into the rocks coming down, should we have any very difficult mauvais pas. moved here one at a time, with the Zurbriggen insisted upon taking a utmost precaution. I carried the two bottle of claret. He said we must ice-axes in my hand; I found these have something to leave on the sum-considerably in my way in climbing both of this bit; it was just about perpen- We All of a sudden, as I was coming up badly situated here. Turn as soon as one place, a large boulder that I you can, as I cannot hold on much touched with my right hand gave way longer." I gave a kick at the rocks with a great crash, falling on my chest. with one foot and managed to swing Zurbriggen was just about to take the myself round. Luckily there was a ice-axes from me. I had them in my ledge near me, and I was able to get left hand and was handing them to some handhold almost at once. I then him ; the slack rope between us lay scrambled up a little way and passed coiled at his feet; the stone as it fell the ice-axes to Zurbriggen. I held on hurled me down head first. I fell for to these during the whole manoeuvre. about eight feet, when I felt the rope We were in too bad a place to stop or jerk, and I struck against the side of to speak to one another, so Zurbriggen the mountain with great force. I was climbed up a little further and got himafraid lest I should be stunned, and self into a firm position; then I scramdrop the two ice-axes in my hand, for I bled up after him, and in about ten knew that on these our lives depended; minutes we had passed this steep bit. we should never have succeeded in getting down the glacier through all the seracs without them. After the rope had jerked me up, I felt it slip and give way, and I came down slowly for a couple of yards. I thought Zurbriggen was being wrenched from his position, and I was just considering how it would feel dashing down the six thousand feet below us, and how many times we should strike the rocks on our way down. I saw the rock that I had dislodged going down in big bounds; as far as I remember, it struck the side three times, and then took an enormous plunge of about two thousand feet, and landed in a crevasse in a glacier which has now been named the Tuckett Glacier. Then I felt the rope stop, and pull me up short. I called out to Zurbriggen, and asked him if he were solidly placed I was swinging like a pendulum with my back to the mountain, scarcely touching the rock face. I should have required to make a great effort to turn round and grasp the rocks, and I was afraid that the strain which would necessarily be placed on the rope from this effort would dislodge Zurbriggen. He thought that I had been half killed, as he saw the rock fall almost on top As a matter of fact, it struck my chest and glanced off to the right under my right arm, thus saving me. His first words were, "Are you very much hurt?" I answered, "No," and again I asked him was he firmly placed? "No," he said, "I am very of me. Here we sat a moment and took a mouthful of brandy to recover ourselves, for our nerves had been badly shaken by what had been so nearly a fatal accident. At the time we did not think so much of it, as we had to keep our nerve and take immediate action; but when it was all over, we felt the effects of it, and we both sat there for about half an hour before we could move again. I was considerably hurt by the stone; it made a cut in my side which did not heal for a couple of weeks, and which bled a good deal. However, we determined to go on and finish the ascent. I found that Zurbriggen, when I fell, snatched up the coil of rope at his feet. Luckily, he picked up the right piece in the coil, so that soon he was able to bring me nearly to rest, but the strain was so great upon him, and he was so badly placed, that he had to let the rope slip through his fingers to ease his position while he placed himself a little better. This operation cut all the skin off his fingers, as the rope heated, slipping through his hands, and burnt him with the friction. When he was able finally to stop me, he said that had I been unable to turn and grasp the rocks he must have been dragged from his position. He declared that in all his life he had never been so nearly killed. Two strands of the rope were cut clean through by the falling rock. There was another very bad place a few steps higher up. This we managed to climb without incident. When |