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LAN Son rey Cee Verran arbet i vyene recieve Serreeivee ravine - uy y weer a) eee eerie i Vv ¥ vee ay veaves reveeea cea VUE YEE RINE] PhS a) Weveneeeny PARES WTA PUVUTVIRRESRERERALL Layee SUMNER EERE NEEDND WYRE weer VETTE AY TELE : j ; NSPE ES NEARER LIREER Ls f 4 AA ALLER RE aE Deby eves mi SEVEN CNET TY ey PVE NYO RR EARLE pa aeyy CeCe’ Py RR ER veyern PED VCENTE NEE LUTTE TEN, ees y (AV VEEULET REEL Eb A vere Neh veceeeerye nie TYRELL a ree ee Pees hoa vane VUsVbave beaded eer eres eLEy eae reaver ee rees Donon cree endans Viviseaee x i viva) Peery Te Laas Faves yes reer y lev dees ag AVE ETT OP RINY IVY TIRR EINER ECREE VYISER TENCE RR REL 1 csedaee Pe : SVeVUNT PRE ne TEER ETTE OREO UO oa NTE eee, RY a8 PVA Pvervins Vin : veel (ane vray Vea pee vee veanayegae eva Lite ese casey eva Cees bb edbbenee ‘1 TO abaaae i ¥ peaches WYYTTITEET ERLE ERE NYYEVERRENT) eaevetaaee’ veuey Weeriiyy) Tr T aber are eee Yi we TeN es aad eee cpl beeaee ; Ver eeeeeae pheaeh bees i PYeeEL i eevee ates verted veer wena eee y eqn YY TRRR LO) i Thegbeavagresduee sd ede eed aeeee yee t i Wars ae ee vag easees nevada Te vei ee i Vanes ede e days vara ceuery ‘ POE Donne) } Uiviadebenbeeeaabsgeeae sedans relly Ves Kee yen peer vevene ened if vrkeee wre enebee ey Bhpepecea? pees e beer ead aeddbreedye pasar huaeeaneee veaa aaa npeeen seas : ahah ebee a paatee bbe’ sedsanaaee thee B48. heath, vebeeaee eabebes ee : “a ee ‘dab aad daar anaes ened PRT Yt peed e eed enereel ar enae ag abadabavenad veeaeeenletanee arene Coo veneeednee Verabbeerre bed i reas : vevedere 15a7 Prrretred) Arr eG pereeeneannree? rabeeaers aneee Darewer ren eeeereee, adhe Smithsonian Institution Libraries Given in memory of Elisha Hanson by Letitia Armistead Hanson , AS ) = Ov of Nis NOE, DOI: NO. 7 WASHINGTON JULY, 1911 REPTILES OF ALL LANDS By Raymonp L. DiTmMars Curator oF ReEptites, N. Y. ZooL,ocica, PARK, AND AUTHOR oF “THE REPTILE Book,” “REPTILES OF THE WORLD,” ETC. shielded forms that make up the class of reptiles, we have a vivid illustration of a rapidly degenerating race of creatures. ‘The reptiles of for- mer periods—of hundreds of thousands of years ago—were by far the most gigantic inhabitants of this globe. In comparison with the ages of other groups of the earth’s varied vertebrate life, the reptiles have passed. through some abruptly terminated epochs. Pale- ontology teaches us that the age of gi- gantic reptiles came to a sudden close. Important climatic changes or disturb- ances were probably responsible for this, for warmth is one of the absolute neces- sities of a reptile’s life. The earth is undoubtedly a far cooler sphere than during the age of the great reptiles. In consequence we find the legions of modern reptiles, the members greatly reduced in size, occurring compactly around the world within the equatorial parallels. As we look to the north or the south, away from the region of greatest heat, the number of species and the size of their representatives will be seen to rapidly decline. The reptiles of the temperate zones are of comparatively insignificant size and pass the cold season in an absolutely dorraanti hel het condition. |: THE, four perder of scaled and iy . NOV 9 1981 LIBRARIES While the trend of evolution has been to greatly reduce the size of the surviv- ing reptiles, the variability and number of forms have as substantially increased. In the ages that are gone a bird's-eye view of the earth’s surface would have revealed varied, monstrous forms ium- bering here and there, reveling in an atmosphere reeking with humidity ; some browsing in giraffe-like fashion among high branches, others churning through the ‘sea in pursuit of their prey; even in the murky atmosphere itself cold-blooded creatures like gigantic bats flapped their way in pursuit of equally gigantic in- sects. While but a very few examples of the modern reptiles anywhere approach the size of their rock-bound and now fossil ancestors, they occur to the number of over 4,000 species. It should have been explained that a fifth order of reptiles has its place in classification. It is made up of a single genus and species, the tuatera, a lizard-like creature of New Zealand. It is the oldest surviving type of reptile and apparently related to the long-extinct ‘Plesiosaurus. CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS Of direct, ancient lineage, the modern crocodiles and alligators furnish us with a hint of the gigantic forms of reptile life Ppeyarey Atuopy “Iq pur Asoysipy jesnzeyy jo UNosnyYy UPoTOUy UVITTOU VY TOJIOITC ‘Svon’y “\W Q UMOUY 90g 93 SUIS JSISIP] JY} W wo1y ‘aye SuIoq ‘ HSIey UL Joof 9 0} & PorNsPolw sollog Yysryy SOUMOAVSOLN OW oy} JO AsoJtNOD Seq ay} Jo SIVULUY,, UL ‘AIOWSIEP [LANNY YM ol} FO 9SOY} SUOISUSUIP UL SUIpoooxXe ‘YSty jooy YY 9 TOM LACIPLIA clue! JO outos 9 UIOGSC) JO UWhosnyy [YM “sh oO] IT, “suo, Joa} OG 0} OF WO1} posuet sinvsopnos4 ol, we _ | enagt Kee wee ILLUSTRATION OF THE DIPLODOCUS The head was so small and so poorly provided with teeth that it must have been quite a task or a long-continued pleasure, according to the state of its digestive apparatus, for the animal to have eaten its daily meal. It is pretty safe to say that the Diplodocus weighed 20 tons and would devour over 700 pounds of leaves or twigs or plants each day. One can readily see the advantage of the long neck in browsing off the vegetation on the bottom of shallow lakes while the animal was submerged, or in rearing the head aloft to scan the surrounding shores for the approach of an enemy; or, with the tail as a counterpoise, the entire body could be reared out of water and the head be raised some 30 feet in the air. From F. A. Lucas, Director American Museum of Natural History, in “Animals of the Past.” Photo from the late Charles R. Knight. once existing. Ages ago the crocodilians gions, giving way to the living repre- were generally distributed throughout sentatives which have survived within the world: the zone of decadence is now’ the tropics. While a few species stray marked by fossils in the temperate re- out of this area, their distribution fol- ‘WYSIUy, “Y SepteyD pue “Asojsipy [einjeN jo wnasnjpy uvoeuy Jowesq ‘seon’y “y ‘y wosy OJOYq ‘SpAvoqaszuad 91331] JO JoquInU e YIM paplaoid jvog & FO WOO 24} EAL] pexOO] syowY 419y} Jey} Os “adpo uo Surpueys ‘sojejd paSpa-daeys pue UII Inq ‘a8Iz] FO solses uBA Yeu oY} 0} sourds esayy WOIF {YA ‘sourds od1v] Jo sued Om} YIM dy ay} Ivou opis Joye UO pause s[rey Suo] ‘s8o] 210} [jews ‘speoy eAnuTUIp pey Ady, “s[euTUL UMOUY [JB FO Je[NSuIs JsOU oY} Suowe tom ‘spasezi] paye[q 410 ‘sinvsosaj1g ayy, SNUYNVSODALS MAGAZINE Ae EUIC, pe GPOEK ae THE NATIO REE SOL ALL, LANDS 60 On ONE OF NATURE'S NONDESCRIPS: MATAMATA (Chelys fimbriata), GUIANAS The flattened head terminates in a tubular appendage, the neck has a waving fringe, while the eyes are incongruously small. Photo by Raymond L. Ditmars. lows low coastal regions warmed by currents from the tropics. The largest modern reptile occurs in India, along the Ganges and the Brahma- putra. This is the gavial, a remarkable reptile attaining a length of 30 feet. Despite its great size and bulk and its tooth-studded jaws, it is a timid animal, dashing into the silty, opaque water at the sight of man. Judging from the massive structure of a big specimen, one might be led to believe it would literally wallow for the water when frightened. It is quite nimble, however, and the pon- Its temper is in keeping with its looks (see page 608). derous creature actually runs for the sheltering current. The prey consists of fish. Mr. Lorenze Hagenbeck informs the writer that he shot a 30-foot gavial with a body fully three feet in diameter. The striking feature about the gavial is the structure of the head. From in front of the eyes the snout extends forward in such slender fashion it might be com- pared to an enormously elongated, duck- like bill. A photograph of this impor- tant reptile is presented on page 614. The salt-marsh crocodile of Malaysia 606 IMS0S, INAIUIOINVAIL, COG MIMBO WUAGAVZION IB, | | SNAKE-NECKED TURTLE (Chelodina longicollis) : AUSTRALIA The serpentine neck 1s too long to be tucked back into the shell. When the animal is frightened a portion of the neck is ‘folded sidewa ays along the inner margin of the shell (see page 609). Photo by Raymond L. Ditmars. LEATHERY TURTLE (Sphargis coriacea) : TROPICAL SEAS This sea giant is by far the largest of the turtles. There are records of 1,000-pound specimens. It appears to be the survivor of an ancient group of reptiles. Photo by Raymond L. Ditmars. REPTILES OF ALL LANDS GO7 GIANT TORTOISE (Testudo elephantina) : ALDABRA ISLANDS A number of species of gigantic tortoises inhabit miniature archipelagoes in the Indian and Pacific oceans. These island monsters appear to be survivors of ancient races of reptiles. Photo by Raymond L. Ditmars. is another monster reptile, attaining a length of 20 feet. Together with the Nile crocodile, it has a bad reputation regarding the destruction of human life. The American species appear to be in- offensive, though some grow to huge proportions. In captivity, however, they become bold by constantly observing the presence of their keepers, and are liable to attack a man without warning. Attaining the greatest bulk of any of the modern reptiles, the crocodilians have been alleged to grow very slowly and reach remarkable ages. Judging from observations that have been made in the reptile-house of the New York Zoological Park, the growth of alliga- tors and crocodiles is quite rapid. Some alligators hatched in the building in- creased from a length of seven inches to the substantial size of over eight feet within a period of eight years. THE TORTOISES AND TURTLES Made up of 11 families, 52 genera, and over 225 species, the turtles and tor- toises form another order of the reptiles of quite direct, ancient lineage. There is no great degree of specialization to be noted among these creatures with the exception of the marine species, which, having taken to the sea, have undergone a modification of the limbs, these having developed into flippers. Strangest among the tortoises and turtles, and appealing to some students as the strangest of all the reptiles, are the gigantic tortoises inhabiting small 608 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE SOFT-SHELLED TURTLE (Trionyx ferox) : SOUTHERN UNITED STATES Despite its soft shell, the species is by no means defenseless. powerful mandibles, it deals a bite with the rapidity of a serpent’s stroke. Provided with keen and A big specimen weighs 4o pounds. The species is edible (see page 609). Photo by Raymond L. Ditmars. isolated groups of islands in the tropical Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Though the crocodilians and the great sea turtles outclass the present creatures in weight, the latter are, in comparison to other tortoises, of astonishing proportions. As fossils of closely related species are found on the various continents far north and south of the habitat of the survivors, it is reasonable to assume that the races of great tortoises of these min- iature tropical archipelagoes have passed through ages when volcanic disturbances shattered great portions of the globe and numerous scaled and plated monsters de- generated and perished. In an accompanying photograph the reader may compare one of these island patriarchs with a modern tortoise of average size. Six species of the giant tortoises inhabit the Galapagos Islands, which are about 500 miles west of the South American coast and about under the Equator ; they occur nowhere else in the New World (see page 607). The Aldabra Islands, in the Indian Ocean, form the habitat of four other species, and four species are also found in the Mauritius-Rodriguez group. A number of expeditions have been dis- patched to the colonies of these interest- ing animals and they are rapidly nearing extinction in a wild state. Among the freaks of the members of the: tuntle and” tortoise ondenmancmede matamata and the snake-necked turtle. The former is found in Brazil and the Guianas. It has a broad, low shell and REPIILESTOR ALL LANDS SOFT-SHELLED TURTLE (Trionyx spinifer) : 609 oe ae ap : sacs ee Maes Mima BAF ee “ Eig | MISSISSIPPI VALLEY With the young specimens the leathery shell is brightly marked. All of the species of Trionyx are edible; this also relating to the cartilaginous “shell.” Ditmars. a head and neck so wide and flat that these members look as if pressed out between rollers. In line with this gro- tesque structure there is a coarse, ragged fringe on the neck, the snout is provided with a tubular appendage, and the eyes are as small as pinheads. This creature attains a weight of 40 pounds. The habits are in keeping with its ugly looks. Australia and New Guinea form the home of the eccentric snake-necked tur- tle. The serpentine neck is so long that the creature must double it back in lat- eral curves in order to draw the head within protection of the shell. This Photo by Raymond L. operation throws the head to one side. The characteristic has been responsible for another popular name—the “‘side- necked” turtle (see page 606). Not far behind the two mentioned species in eccentricity of development are the soft-shelled turtles. About 15 species are known, forming the family Trionychide. The New World species are confined to North America. They are strictly aquatic and prefer muddy rivers. The shell is soft and leathery with flabby border, but these turtles are by no means defenseless, as the jaws are powerful and provided with knife-like iE I APHIC MAGAZI AL, GEOCR x 4MeUs, NEAIIKO IOUIASO ID) H AINIPSOONV “IS ‘Wav qq Aq 04d MOLVOITIV HH LV ‘CIO SYVAA MNO OL aS OML ‘SYOLVOITIV INNOA AO Wild V 611 OF ALL LANDS ES Reese, TOUDASOIT) “TT JAlOq[IN) Aq OJOY VdI"NOTT “INIISASAV “1S “INNVT MOLVOTTIV SEL WW SMOTIAT SIX AHI LO AWOS 612 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Photo by Gilbert H. Grosvenor THE KING OF THE ALLIGATOR FARM: ITS AGE IS A DEBATABLE QUESTION ee REP Mies “OF ALL LANDS cutting edges. They bite with the rapid- ity of a serpent’s stroke, and a three-foot specimen can amputate a man’s finger. Soft-shelled turtles are good eating and to cook them is not difficult. As the shell itself is edible, the entire animal goes into the frying-pan with no other preparation than cleaning. The negroes appropriately call the small examples “flap-jack” turtles. Very young speci- mens are beautifully marked and in the water look like variegated leaves (see pages 608 and 609). THE LIZARDS The lizards form the largest order of reptiles. They are particularly interest- ing as representing the ancestral forms of the serpents. All stages of limb de- velopment are to be noted, from the powerful runners and jumpers to species wholly destitute of limbs, that glide like serpents, and other diminutive legless forms that are blind and burrow deep into the soil like earthworms. The im- mediate relationship between lizards and snakes is strongly evident by the posses- sion among a number of the less special- ized serpents of well-developed (inter- nal) hind limbs, which are actually functional. Among the lizards, habits run riot, and among the members of this order Nature has seen fit to lavish the most brilliant colors. A grand chart showing the geographi- cal distribution of lizards would demon- strate that these reptiles require a greater degree of heat than the turtles or the snakes. They abound in the equatorial latitudes and are but sparingly distrib- uted in the temperate zones. “The com- paratively very small number of species chat occur north or south of the tropics are of small size and quite uniform de- velopment. As with the serpents, several families are cosmopolitan. The exten- sive distribution of the members of genera, however, is particularly marked among the lizards. Largest among the lizards are the members of a small family—the moni- tors, genus Varanus. There are 27 species, occurring in Africa, India, Ma- 613 laysia, and Australia. Some of them reach a length of 8 feet and a weight of 60 pounds. All are fleet and powerful, fierce and carnivorous (see page 619). Largest of the living lizards is the Malayan kabara-goya of the Singhalese. This powerful brute attains a length of 8 feet. It frequents the jungles, and many tiger hunters have been startled by the rush of a big monitor, the reptile making as- much noise as some big hoofed animal as it tears its way through the undergrowth away from danger. The feeding habits are typical of all the members of the genus. The method of attacking a small ani- mal more closely resembles the actions of members of the cat tribe than of a reptile. Rushing at its ill-fated prey, the monitor shakes it in the same violent fashion as a terrier treats a rat. If the animal’s struggles become so violent that there is a possibility of it escaping, the lizard holds it to the ground under its long claws—as long as those of a leop- ard. Then the jaws take a better hold. When the prey is killed it is tossed about in the jaws until the head points down the lizard’s throat. It is then gulped down entire, when the monitor wipes the jaws with the enormously long, forked tongue. A kabara-goya can swallow a whole pigeon. The species is fond of eggs, and one of the sights of a reptile-house is the feeding of the larger monitors. From 8 to 10 hen’s eggs are taken at a meal. The eggs are swallowed without break- ing the shell and with such rapidity they click against each other in passing down the throat. Digestion is rapid. Within 24 hours the gastric juices have disinte- grated the shells and the fragments of these are entirely dissolved. A monitor of smaller size inhabits the borders of the Sahara Desert. It is of pallid hue, to match the sterile soil; this coloration also relating to the eyes, which, with their staring black pupil, gives the animal a fierce appearance. As if deter- mined to possess some added feature in its makeup, the desert species startles the intruder by widely opening its jaws 614 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE HORNED LIZARD (Phrynosoma regale) : ARIZONA (SEE PAGE 616) The horned “toads,” more properly called the horned lizards, inhabit the desert regions of the United States and Mexico. Sixteen species are recognized. Photo by Raymond L. Ditmars. SPINY LIZARD (Zonurus giganteus) : SOUTH AFRICA Found in dry, rocky places. A big specimen is 15 inches long. Photo by Raymond I. Ditmars REPUB Or ALL LANDS 615 when disturbed, thence dis- closing the fact that the mouth parts are as black as if steeped in ink. Other big lizards are the iguanas, belonging to a New World family that contains both large and small members. Differing from the monitors, the igu- anas are omnivorous, and so decorated with spines and protuberances that some of them appeal to the novice like the subjects of a disordered dream. The South American iguana at- tains a length of six feet and is a wild-looking crea- ture, owing to a high crest of lance-like dorsal spines. It is largely herbivorous, but does not hesitate to rob the nests of small birds or dig into a rotting log for insect prey. This lizard is edible and subjected to a cruel process in the South American markets, where its flesh is described as much like that of a young fowl. The tip of the longest toe on each hind foot is caught with a pair of pliers and the ten- don stretched from the toe inset. By means of the stretched tendons the hind feet are tied together, ren- dering the lizard helpless. As an illustration of the tenacity with which rep- tiles cling to life, it may be mentioned that iguanas are shipped to animal dealers in the United States bound in the manner described, and, though without food or water for weeks, they run about soon after being liberated, and will live for years—this despite the fact that they come from the tronics infested with ticks and other parasites. ‘So[IJGOI UIOpOwW oy} JO Aue JO Y[Nq jso}eoIS oy} sule}yy (So9g ased 998) Suo] Joof OF papsodoas Udeq sey I] SHONVO FHL SLIGVHNI :NVW LOOI-9 V OL aauvaWoo (snsahuvh syp1205 ) IWIAVD V Pn ens ells, BLACK TEGU (Tupinambis nigropunctatus ) : The length of a big specimen is three feet. poultry. A batch of iguanas from Dutch Guiana were the means of nearly de- populating the reptile-house in the New York Zoological Park. An almost mi- croscopic parasite spread frm these liz- ards among other exhibits of their kind, thence among the serpents. : CORNFIELD ON A DEMONSTRATION FARM 63¢ Photos from U. S. Department of Agriculture CORNFIELD ON A DEMONSTRATION FARM, SHOWING A SCHOOL FOR FARMERS ENGAGED IN SELECTING CORN CORN DAY AT MONROE, N. C., SHOWING TWO HUNDRED FARMERS SELECTING AND TESTING CORN FOR PLANTING (SEE PAGE 641) APHIC MAGAZINE THE NATIONAL GEOCR 640 ‘oI -LISy fo juawjirdag ‘S “A wWoifz ojoyg ‘1eo auo poyonpuos Wood SLY YOM UOleIjsUOUOp o1o4M ATOpA440} v UL StoulIey Aq pojoejas 919M JJ9] 24} UO esOyT, “euOp Useq SEY A1OM voeysHOUap ou YoY ut ALOPAI9} & UL S Towiey Aq pojoaJas aso0y} o1v JYSII oy} uO siva ayy, GuaS WOW SUANWAVA ADI GULOATAS NOOO 40 SHIA WVS From Yearbook, Department of Agriculture, 1909 HOW TO MAKE A FARMER: THE BOY WHO GREW THE CORN SHOWN IS STANDING IN HIS DEMONSTRATION PATCH BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ AGRICULTURAL CLUBS HERE have been few develop- ments in recent years of greater educational interest and value than the work done by associations of boys and girls in agricultural and domestic-art undertakings. As a rule these have had their beginning in some form of com- petitive contest for special occasions or awards. Thus we find clubs for corn growing, cotton growing, potato grow- ing, fruit growing, poultry growing, live- stock study, bird study, home culture, and high-school improvement. All of these have been more or less agricultural in their general character. To any who are unacquainted with the nature of such clubs, it may be explained that a corn-growing club is an association of boys, who enter into a competition to determine which can grow the most or the best corn on a certain area of ground under definite rules of planting, cultiva- tion; and exhibit of their) product. “~ cotton-growing club would undertake a similar competition in producing the best yield of cotton under prescribed condi- tions. For girls these contests have fre- quently taken the form of bread making, sewing, or joint contests with boys in gardening or poultry raising. The members of such clubs have been led to observe more closely ; to recognize good and bad qualities in the products they have grown, and in the insects, fungi, and other various conditions af- fecting their work. They have learned something of the value of labor, the cost of production, and the keeping of simple accounts with different farm and house- hold affairs; they have been encouraged to read good literature, and have learned some of the sources of good agricultural literature. They have learned the value of organ- ized effort, of co-operation, and of com- promise ; and the social instinct has been developed in them—a matter of great importance in rural districts, where the isolated condition of the people has long been a great hindrance to progress. The influence upon the communities at large—the parents as well as the chil- dren—has been wholesome. Beginning with an awakening interest in one thing— better seed corn, for example—communi- ties have rapidly extended their interests to other features of rural improvement. TWUIYPM “DV 4q OJOYG ‘a3no1 JoISea ‘[ensn ayy Aq JUZ9Sep oy} adoys suo] s}t uo pur ‘ospit yoo1 doojs oy} ydooxe [ye ‘10}3e] 24} dn 9}no01 Imo usas aq ued 4Y8I4 SHE OJ, “BSOY UOT Hf JaAO pue ‘YersioutO0D oy} 0} osE;MoTUUNT 24} ON “wlueysA’T doojs 94} sest1 do} asoym 19A0 ‘Jaaz L196 ‘UIOYTEYIY 371] oy) sem SIG OT, “quo sAep puodes ay} sem siyy, (4y9 Wovd HAS) Gasd OST‘TI ‘NYOH'THAVONTINA AHL :SUNOH FIVH V GNV NHANS ‘AWITO AOlIdvNa Vv ZINE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGA MeOe Weve 42 5 { A WOMAN’S CLIMBS IN THE HIGH ALPS By Dora KEEN With Illustrations from Photographs by the Author and Others LIMBING in the High Alps ina G bad season may mean exhausting rock work, at times very much lengthened and complicated by a cover- ing of snow. It may mean very fatiguing or dangerous experiences on snow and ice, or sudden storms, with peril of freez- ing to death or of losing one’s way, or there may be various thrilling combina- tions of experiences. The Alps are not, however, to be named with what may be experienced in higher mountains in other lands; for when very hard work has to be done at very high altitudes, or is combined with problems of intense cold, a jungle base, an exhausting approach, or two or more of these conditions combined, the diffi- culties of mountaineering become enor- mously complicated. The Alps present no such problems. They are not to be compared with the brilliant achievements of such spirited and versatile explorers as the Duke of the Abruzzi and others, in the Hima- layas, in Alaska, in Africa, in the Andes, and even in the Caucasus. My story of two short seasons in the Alps is therefore presented in all modesty, with no claim to have done any more than others under like conditions, and no space to try to make the reader feel the call ot the mountains, to dwell on why it all pays. The High French Alps, in the region of Chamonix, Haute Savoie, and Dau- phiné, and the Swiss peaks about Grin- delwald and Zermatt, present about as difficult actual mountaineering work, I believe, as has yet been attempted any- where. Especially is this true when bad weather makes the condition of the mountains such as it has been for the last two summers. This is the way that I know them; for what serious mountain climbing I have done has been done dur- ing a month at Zermatt, in 1909, and a little less time at Chamonix, in 1910 WHY I CLIMB To those whose love of sport and ad- venture need not yield before considera- tions of time and cost, the little explored peaks of distant Asia and other lands, and even the Canadian Rockies, of course have greater charm, since in those regions are lofty and difficult mountains that have not yet been climbed. To me, however, mountain climbing is a sport that is worth while in itseli—to those who enjoy it—apart from any question of fame or of new achievement. My ob- jects have been neither. I climb for pleasure, for the wonder- ful views and the vigorous exertion, for the relaxation of a complete change for mind and body, and because of the inspi- ration to the spirit. To combine explo- ration with mountaineering must, no doubt, so increase the interest as to well repay the augmented difficulties. All I would emphasize is that to climb any- where repays the effort, even if it must be within reach of civilization and where others have gone before. To me there is ample reward in the uplift of the spirit ; in the moral discipline, the keen interest, and the training to think, of a hard bat- tle carefully planned; in the satisfaction of a love of adventure, and in the invig- orating physical exercise. CLIMBING FACILITATED IN THE ALPS The Alps are accessible, far more ac- cessible as yet, even to Americans, than are the finer peaks of America. Rail- ways, villages, and huts make approach to their very bases easy. No extensive and expensive camping outfit is required. Food and clothing do not have to be car- ried great distances by porters or mules, and shelter from cold at night or from AZINE AG I iy AUP IBUUC. R G THE NATIONAL GEO 644 sweqeaqy “d “0 Aq 0J0Yq ‘osplt Asoddijs 94} WoO1F Use} prey IUVABILD B dJoY{M SMOYS SsO1D oy, Avp tmoy-'1 e ‘ssejo jsty Jo yeod ysay Aw sem j] (4¥9 HOvd WHS) HAOTS LINAS IMH1 GNV FOCIN MONS LHOIY SLI Ad GuaWrId “axa SS9€1 ‘NNOM“ON IVNIZ THI A WOMAN’S CLIMBS sudden storm may be found in huts at the base of all the principal peaks. The large membership of the AI- pine clubs—sometimes 20,000—furnishes them with the means to erect and main- tain huts or cabins at such points as they may be needed, but where private enter- prise would not find sufficient induce- ment. The highly specialized business of guiding mountain climbers is also under their direction. They license the guides and porters and fix the rules and tariffs for their direction; for, unlike the English and American Alpine clubs, the Alpine clubs of Continental Europe are not, for the most part, limited to those who have made mountaineering records of a certain standard. They are made up chiefly of members who desire to encourage the sport for its own sake and also as a method of attracting tourists. In the course of travel, a love of exer- cise and adventure had given me a few easy experiences in the mountains. They began as a child in the Adirondacks and the White Mountains, were continued in the Selkirks of Canada, in Norway, and the Dolomites, and finally in the Andes. To climb the Matterhorn gradually be- came a dream, and quite unexpectedly, in August, 1909, I found myself within reach of it at the right season and with time to get in training. So to Zermatt, German Switzerland, I went. At the head of a smiling valley, itself 5,315 feet above sea level, towers the mighty Matterhorn, its isolated grandeur dominating the scene from every point. By means of a funiculaire, even those who do not climb may here behold the “panorama grandiose’ of these finest peaks of the Alps, and as they gaze, from its center the commanding ridge of the Gornergrat, rising as it does 4,975 feet above Zermatt, in the very heart of the High Alps, even the least imaginative traveler feels the inspiration of the scene. It is a complete amphitheater of snow, ice, and rock peaks. But to him who has mounted thus easily it is not given to know the joy of the mountaineer, the feeling of triumph and exhilaration in IN THE HIGH ALPS 645 such a spectacle. To him it means most, since to him it has cost something—in the way of effort, and difficulty, and anx- iety—to attain the summit from which he fain would gaze. To climb requires a good heart and endurance. The rest comes with ex- perience. The technical problems have all been solved by the earlier adven- turers. A gradual training of the mus- cles is best, in order that they may not get too tired, and for the feet, in order that they may not blister. Two hours on a steep path the first day, five the next, nine the next, and after that almost anything—that is all the training it re- quires to make ascents lasting anywhere from 12 to 19% hours, as most of the serious ones do, without any bad effects. One goes up a path to the base hut or cabin two to five hours above the val- ley, the afternoon before, is asleep by 8 p. m., gets up at 1 the next morning, and starts at 2a. m. ‘The early start is in order to have plenty of time to get off the mountain before night, and also to have the snow in good condition. That night one has a long sleep comfortably in the valley, and the next day wakes up fresh and ready for the afternoon’s walk to the base of another peak. Bad weather interrupts the program often enough to afford variety and respite, or, rather, the climbing affords a relief from the frequent bad weather of the high mountains. ZERMATT Of the ten ascents that the weather permitted of my making at Zermatt, only four could be of “‘first-class”’ peaks, for the high and difficult rock climbs are dangerous when covered with excessive amounts of soft snow, and even when I arrived an unusual quantity of the win- ter’s snow still remained on the moun- tains. “The four first-class ascents were the Zinal Rothorn, Monte Rosa, the Weisshorn, and the Matterhorn, and with these only does space permit me to deal. My first four climbs were in prepara- tion for the Matterhorn, but on the day ZINE ATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGA THE N 646 UIOYSsIa\ 94} Wot ‘IojJeM 1Of OS 0} 919M SMO a 062 € ‘ST 6 . : MPM OD “V Aq o1oYg yoog og€6 Gny Ys MOLE OUT, “BSOY sO] poquiyo om Avp jxou oq} pure ‘Avp Inoy-%o1 e& opew OU} UL PezeoIpur a3not oy} Aq ‘esOY o}UOPT FO oseq 9} 04 yUadSe ANOY-II Si} 1ojfe UO Sulor, “aynyUoT[a\\ 94} FO Jey} pol[quisser jus (099-19 SHoVd AHS) Lae NYOHHOSIAG WIN AHL dA ALNOM uno Ly ONIMOOT Zi Ze & ‘QUIT ToMOy ose Si] A WOMAN’S CLIMBS that I was ready to start for its base there came a bad storm, which made this ascent quite out of the question for a time, and so it continued for three weeks. Not in years had it been so white, so perpetually white, for bad weather continued to come about every third day. When for a day or two the sun shone again, other ascents would be- come possible—the lower and less steep rock ascents, the snow mountains, even the Weisshorn, but not the steep and lofty Matterhorn. THE RIFFELHORN, 9,617 FEET, 5 HOURS* The little Riffelhorn (see picture, page 658) was chosen to begin on, just for a little rock practice, and for my guide to judge what training I needed. Even from its harder side it meant only 40 minutes of real effort, roped to one guide. THE UNTERGABELHORN, I1I,150 FEET, 744 HOURS The next day came the Untergabel- horn (see picture, page 642). This like- wise was climbed by its harder side, from the Trift Hotel, and one bit was difficult ; but even so it required only one guide. A hailstorm overtook us as we ap- proached the jagged rock ridge, making it cold and slippery work. Three guide- less gentlemen below, although ascend- ing by the easier route, turned back. Because of the route and the storm, we were four hours from the hotel to the top. After the first grassy slopes and gravel—for all ascents begin way above timber line—came a “couloir”, or gulch, in the rocks filled with snow and débris. Mounting directly up it, we gained the rock ridge which we were to follow to the top. Going by this route, at one point on the ridge was a rock slab that slanted down rather steeply and con- nected with the next high point only by a crotch at one of its lower corners. I * The number of hours given for each ascent indicates the time from the base, where the start is made on the morning of the ascent, to the summit and down again all the way to the place where that night is spent. INS DHE, HIGH: ARPS 647 had to lie on my back and slide down it six inches at a time for 15 feet, fearful of sliding off into space, yet secured by the guide from above as he carefully let out the slack in the rope. He fol- lowed, with no one to hold him, stepped over my head, while I sat astride the crotch hugging the rock overhead, and climbed up it 20 feet perpendicularly above me, I following. THE WELLENKUPPE, 12,830 FEET, 8 HOURS The Wellenkuppe (see picture, page 659), four days later, proved more inter- esting, colder—for it was higher and a snow summit—but not much longer, be- cause less rock work. Only below its summit were there any rocks, but there was much snow on them and my feet became numb. The snow-covered ‘T'rift Glacier had to be traversed, both going and coming. ‘Two guides were there- fore necessary, for safety dictates that there should never be less than three persons to cross a glacier. If one should fall in a “crevasse,” or crevice, the weight of the other two would mer than balance the drag on the rope and enable them to pull him out. THE ZINAL ROTHORN, 13,855 FEET, 13 HOURS At the worst point on this easy Trift Glacier (see picture, page 644), jutting rocks at one side led the eye up to a steep slope of snow along whose crest lay the route to the difficult Zinal Rot- horn. “Tt was here that Mr. and his guide were killed,’ said my guides, pointing out to me the spot on the ridge where he had slipped and had dragged his guide down the slippery snow and over the cliffs, to be dashed to pieces on this glacier far below. This was my next climb, two days later, so I took care to have guides who knew their business and could be trusted to hold me if I slipped. The ascent of the Zinal Rothorn took half as long again as the Wellenkuppe, 6%4 hours from the Trift Hotel to the top, for instead of a level glacier to cross, THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE BETWEEN THE RIMPFISCHHORN AND MONTE ROSA WAS A VAST EXPANSE OF ICE AND SNOW It was like a beautiful billowy sea, with clouds covering Italy beyond. Photo by Dora Keen there is first a tiresome moraine, then a steep snow slope, then snow-covered rocks, on which the early morning cold was so great that we could hardly stop long enough to eat, and finally the real work of the long snow ridge and the snow-covered rocky summit. To me the _ snow ridges are the worst part of moun- tain climbing. So long as I have rocks to hold to I do not mind how perpen- dicularly | look down; but it is an un- steady feeling to walk along a ridge-pole of snow where one’s foot may easily slip, and wkere the only aid to balance is an ice-pick that may also slip as one leans on it. The rocks at the top of the Zinal Rot- horn also require care. Twice my leader said, “Here is where Mr. So and So was killed” ; and again, ““Here Mr. So and So and his guide slipped and were killed,” to which my reply was always, “Then hold the ropes well for me,” and always 1 had the comforting thought that with care and roped between two good guides one light tourist could hardly cause the Entire wacarayame metontalle At one point were steep slabs with no handholds. Over them one must pass with scarcely any footholds, and these almost too far apart for my reach. Around a corner, too, they went. At such points only one moves at a time, and the others hold on tightly until he has reached a place where he in turn can brace himself while the next person moves. ‘This is one reason why it takes so long to make a difficult ascent. At A WOMAN'S: CEIMiso Liv “ary Lak, HIGH ALPS 649 OUR ROUTE DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE RIMPFISCHHORN It can be traced on the snow to the guide, who is holding the rope for the descent of a caravan ahead. On the rocks over his head is the base cabin of Monte Rosa, reached 11% hours later, for the 13!4-hour ascent the next day. another point we had to climb around a bulging rock that projected over a preci- pice of at least 2,000 feet. BAD WEATHER INTERFERES The Rothorn was my initial first-class peak. I was to start for the Matterhorn the very day after, a week after reach- ing the mountains, but I was too late. Hard rain below—which means deep, fresh snow above—suspended all climb- ing for three days, and for the next three weeks there were never enough /, Photo by Dora Keen. consecutive days of sun to melt the snow on this high peak. With so much snow on it, none of the guides would attempt the Matterhorn, for, aside from the danger of slipping on such steep slopes, the labor of cutting the many steps over the snow to such a height is enormous, and the time re- quired to cut them would so prolong the ascent that the caravane might not get down by daylight, and might be frozen to death on the mountain. As I was preparing for the long strain MAGAZINE ROGRAPHIC TBC, NATIONAL, © 650 ruin HYPM “OD “VW Aq o}04q “(189 o8ed aas) > ot} SOPESTPUL SSOLD Wy “pey 1oAo IALY T [HfIINvoq Jsour oy} sem ‘UMEp puUk ssouyIep Aq ‘Ioyosja[3zuetc) Buoy oy} dn yyem Imoy-say sy J, Mad SQoCl ‘NYOHLIANT FHL AO dOL THY, WOU NAGS SV ‘VSON ALNOW 4A ALAow sno A WOMAN’S CLIMBS on the arms that is the main difficulty on the Matterhorn, rock climbing was my object; but when fresh snow ruled out the higher and harder rock climbs, the snow climbs could be made and were at their greatest beauty. Always possi- ble in good weather, they became only more fatiguing after a storm, when one must toil up through snow that was deep and soft instead of hard and smooth. I emphasize what bad weather conditions mean, because it is often the conditions that make a mountain easy or hard, safe or dangerous, and also because it was the exceedingly bad conditions that made the ascents of the harder peak at Chamo- nix the next year so very much worse than these at Zermatt. As soon as it cleared I set out for the two successive ascents of the Rimpfisch- horn and Monte Rosa, passing directly from one hut to the other. THE RIMPFISCHHORN, 13,790 FEET, 1614 HOURS The Rimpfischhorn (see pictures, pages 646 and 649) was similar in char- acter to the Wellenkuppe. It was a little longer, a little harder, and, owing to its position, the near views from it were much finer, for it directly over- looks the billowy masses of snow and ice that lie between it and Monte Rosa (see picture, page 648). The first bit was troublesome, since, unlike the be- ginning of most ascents, we had to make our way for three-quarters of an hour up and down among huge boulders, where it was hard not to fall, with three people lighted only by a one-candle lan- tern. Coming after the Rothorn, its snow fields and snow-covered rocks of moderate steepness and difficulty did not Seem hard: Starting at 2.30 a: m., by about I p. m. we were back at the little base hotel, and at 2 o'clock off again over the Findelen Glacier and across the Gornergrat for the cabin at the base of Monte Rosa. Five hours and a half it took us to reach it, and brought us in rather tired, for my guides had never done this before, and to gain the Corner- grat had meant finding a way without a [INGLE HIGH ALPS 651 path, for two long hours jumping and climbing up and dow n amid a succession of great rock falls. MONTE ROSA, 15,217 FEET, 1344 HOURS After this 1614-hour day, an hour of sleep on a mattress on the floor in the servants’ room—and the kitchen floor for my guides—was all we could get, since it was 7.30 p. m. and the cabin was already full, 45 people seeking food and lodging in space intended for 15. It was therefore with a little misgiving, be- cause of weariness, that I started again at 2.30 a. m. for a very high summit, to which we intended to climb by its much harder and steeper rock side. The usual route up Monte Rosa takes five hours up its long snow slope as far as “the saddle,” and thence 1% hours up the rock ridge, or west “arete.” “Trés déchirce,” very jagged, Baedeker well calls this ridge, but its slope is gradual. The ascent by this route is much easier and less steep than by the harder south- west side, which we had chosen; but it is exposed to the north wind, and be- cause of the height and the long time on the snow, there is danger of freezing a hand or a foot. Snow climbs are far more beautiful than.rock climbs, but they are less difficult and less varied, and therefore considered less interesting. For the sake of protection from the north wind, and because it would be more interesting, we had therefore de- termined to go by way of the long Grenzgletscher, the glacier that rises on the boundary crest of Monte Rosa, and then directly up a rock ridge as hard and steep as the Matterhorn (see picture, page 650). Hour upon hour we mounted this most beautiful glacier that I have ever seen. Its huge, bottomless crevasses, its pure white mantle of snow on which, by their lanterns, could be followed three cara- vanes ahead and three behind, bound for other points, filled me with wonder. At our right rose the terrifyingly steep slope of the Lyskamm (see picture, page 652) ; up ahead of us an immense expanse of snow and ice broken only where crev- THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE THE SNOWY LYSKAMM, MOST BEAUTIFUL OF ALPINE HEIGHTS, WAS SUPERB BY THE DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT From near the top of ht, the Matterhorn. Oo fo) i At the r Photo by Dora Keen far away above the clouds. Monte Rosa. Beyond is the Breithorn, over whose top appears Mont Blanc, asses had ruptured. Atour left were the snowy rocks of our peak above, far across the great Matter- horn, the Dent Blanche, and even the tip of Mont Blanc, far away. ‘These. indeed, were sights to give joy to the eye and wings to the imagination, and on it all gradually, as we rose, came the changing lights and colors of the long dawn and the first rays of - the sun. At the base of the ridge, at 7.30, we breakfasted. For two hours it had been bitterly cold, and although we climbed up to a point where the sun’s warmth might strike us before even this brief stop, and I kicked my feet against the rocks at every step, still for the whole of the next hour they were so _persistentiy numb that one of the guides had to work over them. So long and exhausting did this ridge seem that I remember, after an hour and a half of it, looking up in silent despair. I saw that it would take me at least an hour more to reach that far glistening summit, towering as it did almost directly overhead. I won- dered whether I should reach it, or whether fa- tigue, cold; or valutude would compel me to give it up. But once onmtopeer Monte Rosa, | forgot the cold and effort and felt it to be the most beautiful climb I have ever had; for, almost the only time in my experience, on this high summit there was little wind and sufficient time and warmth for an hour of enjoyment and rest. A WOMAN’S CLIMBS IN THE HIGH ALPS A SLIPPERY BUT NOT DIFFICULT CROSSING 2— Ovo THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE THE DANGEROUS ITALIAN SIDE OF MONTE ROSA, BY WHICH THE LOST CARAVAN HAD ASCE NDED ap were bound for the Nordend, at the right. The highest point is next, the Dufour- spitze, from which I watched the search-party climb to the Nordend and look over. Photo by A. G. Wehrli. A WOMAN’S CLIMBS IN THE HIGH ALPS 655 THREE CARAVANS ON THE BREITHORN PLATEAU : Those nearest are seated on ice-axes breakfasting. The ascent is all snow, and easy, but it was so cold that three out of twenty caravans turned back because of freezing feet. Photo by Dora Keen. Down by the usual route took us only two hours anda half. ‘That is the differ- ence between a snow mountain, where one can occasionally run or slide, and a rock summit, down which one must climb with care, which takes time. To reach the saddle was an hour’s descent, and extremely distressing to me, for the rock ridge from the summit to that point, although not to be compared for steep- ness to the one by which we had as- cended, was very narrow. It consisted in a series of rock points between which one must descend steeply on the crest of deep snowdrifts, which sloped sharply away on one side, while on the other was a precipice. Below the saddle, however, we fairly ran down the snow slopes in the broad track of the seven or eight other cara- vanes that had already gone up and down again by this easier route. Run- ning and sliding in the deep snow that a noonday sun had by this time thawed, leaping over the crevasses on the way, in an hour and a half from the saddle we were down at the cabin. I was panting and perspiring, but not tired now, and my guides were exultant when they found that the only other tourist that had gone by our route, although he had done nothing the day before, lay asleep, exhausted. THE BREITHORN, 13,085 FEET, AND THE LITTLE MATTERHORN, 12,750 FEET, 10 HOURS More snow made it necessary to wait in the valley again now for three days, and then to content ourselves with the Breithorn, which was a short and very beautiful snow climb. The ascent of ZINE, MAGA te iL, GOOG AUPEE ATION N T1s08, ‘Yorn 7Z-B.19qyoILyy TIYyoM Aq OJ0Yg *(099 osed 20s) doy oy4 eae ue ‘sInoy OM} YOO} ,SoliepUses,, oY} (SSOID ves) dn o1oy} WO1y SO wns ae he Be a anes eae i Cnc rey aso4 ULOY.19YV NL oY} PU BSOY BUOPY “UsojUR] OU popsosu 9M ‘WOOT [[N} Aq I sv ysnf “st I Ie} ec NYOHSSIAM LINDIAIG AY A WOMAN'S (CLIMBS IN THE HIGH ALPS 657 IT WAS DOWN SUCH A SNOW-SLOPE THAT I FEARED TO SLIP IN DESCENDING FROM THE SUMMIT OF THE WEISSHORN, 14,804 FEET This is the Obergabelhorn, also a difficult ascent. Its ascent is made by the left ridge. The southern side is bare and steep. Another view of the Obergabelhorn is shown in pano- rama of the Matterhorn, page 659. Photo by A. G. Wehrli. = = - ~ * - ESE £ ca = TIYIM “) ‘VY Aq O10YG ‘SI]} OF “TOYSJO][S19U1OF) dy} DAOGK SaSTI }I SB SP¥dT] SU dq} 19AO Woes TLIOYPOHIA IL oy} wosfy possoiSo1d pey | YyWWou ve Uy “YOM prey Wom {OI puv ‘MOUS oY} JO esneVd0q ‘soy GOI Yoo} j] “ulese uMOp pue ‘Wwums oy} 0} oSprt ysis oy} dn ‘odojs Assess oy} JO PUS oY} JW “Jo}OF{ SOSZIBMYDG OY} WOIF SEM UIOYIOLIY 9Y} JO Jose INO . (199 wOVd aS ) HHONVIG PNAC HHL LTHOIM SLI Iv : MONS JO SSVIN Y— II GVH YM SV NYOHYALIVN FAL AGAZINE M Vie Bs Pica BOGRA iil |G I Oe — POS = EE IN ACO! 698 6oo0) raldey ri \ f ~ ) T= CIE TMI 5 . OMAN RC NN AMO {q| 2B 0JOU if { “MOUS 9]}}I] AOA YPM “TOIOVIL) FLT, oy} Wo1y s[qvziusose1 skvayr St dvo-Mous odsoym ‘(Zto 8JROIPUL SOUL 99}10 “(QFQ OS]R 99S) APIS UtoyINOS o1rX SH pur—doojs 00} ssoyun— IITIAOI-MOUS ee | ( 5 } : Ud9Mq “(te 9TYM 9Y}) JopfHoys oy} UssIAjoq syIoI oy} 91v doojs Moy pur OIULUTLUOP OY} OJON “JUSISe INO Jo M1 AY YQUI1IYIP oF SMOYS (JYSI1) UIOY[OGeS.19qQ OL, 99. asvd 90S) 9104} 0.12 sodo ou al, i y TIOHM-WOdT VY ST NMOEMILIVIN Si 0 LIININOS SH Pe an a nel lace a ri ie a al RN aii i wo boyyelSicr thine sg ‘smRyRIqy “qd “5 osed 99S) oyNyuoTpoA\ oy. du oqno.s STE YOUEM UreJUNOUL vB YO apts YpA0U do} oy. pur (ospii oy ony uo tyoyrd 2p OY} MOUS FO DTUIOD v sem J] 660 this “Damenspitze,” or “ladies’ moun- tain,” was cold, if easy. It was only four hours over snow to the top and most of the way at an easy grade, with few crevasses (see picture, page 655), yet three of the 20 caravanes that day turned back, because of women’s feet too thinly — A THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE protected from freezing. By 6 a. m. one has usually attained the final exposed ridge of any mountain, and the chilling sunrise breeze is apt to make the time from 6 to 8, until at last the sun begins to give some heat, an anxious time for feet or hands. THE WEISSHORN, 14,804 FEET, 15 HOURS S Dora Keen 4 4 yy FACI Not until a week later, after having been twice repulsed iby) nto mens wad weather, once when half way up, did conditions permit me to reach the top of the \Veisshorn. At its base, above the valley, stands the unoccupied hut, on a site whence the views, whether after a storm, by Alpine glow, or by full moonlight, are among the Photo by THE TWO RHORN : 4 4 y side was the less steep and also less cold, because in the sun, and, * protected from the north wind. OF THE MATT picture, page 646). The first half of the ascent was not especially difh- cult ; but after three hours and a half of a compara- tively easy glacier, snow, and steep rock slopes, we came to a rock ridge whose steep and jagged points so effectually chal- lenge progress that they are termed = them esc. darmes” (CS) pichune page 656). The Weisshorn is a few feet higher than the Mat- terhorn, and a steep ridge most of the way, although not as steep as the latter. It has few snow slopes of safe enough grade for a “glissade,” or sliding descent, and consequently the de- scent, as well as the ascent, takes a long time. It is considered a very difficult climb, and with the great quantity of fresh powdery snow way down to its base, it was certainly twice as hard as a m \ r) The snow as far as the “shoulder,’ THE. RIDGI ON It seemed just as steep as it looked. finest I have ever had (see ee ee A WOMAN’S CLIMBS the Rothorn. Baedeker puts them both, together with three others at Zermatt— the Ober-Gabelhorn, Dent Blanche, the worst, and the Dent d’Hérens—as “very difficult (for thorough experts only, with first-rate guides)”. Because of its condition, soon after we reached the rocks it was clear that we must abandon our plan to “traverse” it— that is, to descend into a different valley by its other, steeper, side. Just to reach the top took eight hours of anxious and very fatiguing work, and a light snow- storm and clouds, which veiled all views for the last two hours, chilled us even as we toiled. In endless series the “gen- darmes”” seemed to rise, and to climb them was a two-hour task. At times the only way to get up at all was for the first guide and me in turn to mount to the shoulders of the second guide. I would then stand aside while he was pulled up by the rope. This was labor, but worse vet were the last two hours, for the top is a pyramid of snow, as the name implies, and to climb its ridge meant nice judgment to determine how to go most safely between an over- hanging edge or snow “cornice,” which might break off with our weight if we got too far over on it, and a slope so steep on the other side that to miss a step might mean to slide to the bottom. While we were waiting for the steps to be cut we grew cold, and when we went forward I panted from the steepness. But more anxious still was the de- scent from this snowy summit, for at every reach to the next step, far below, it seemed as if I should certainly lose my balance or slip. The descent of the “gendarmes” was difficult, too, but to climb down at least is no such strain on one’s breathing powers as to climb up, so that to me it is always worse to go up. Finally came a couloir, or gully, in which several flying stones from a caravane be- hind made us take refuge under a rock until they also were down. “Killed on the Weisshorn by a falling stone’’ I had read two days before on a grave in the English church-yard. The Dent Blanche is called the worst climb at Zermatt, but Dee ttGie ALPS 661 my guides assured me that it was hardly worse—a little longer, but of the same character. THE MATTERHORN, 14,780 FEET, 19% HOURS Again it stormed and shone again, so it was September 6 before I could at last start for the Schwarzsee Hotel, two hours above Zermatt, and the next morn- ing up the Matterhorn (see pictures, pages 658, 659, and 660). My guides urged that it would be better to wait for another day’s sun to do its work, but they thought it could now. be ascended safely, and I did not trust the weather. The season was now so late that I pre- ferred harder work to the risk of not getting up at all. Eight other parties had likewise been waiting from two to three weeks, but all decided to wait another day.- All the’ next “day they watched us by telescope, and when they saw that we had succeeded they all wel- comed us at the base hut, whither they had mounted, ready to profit by our step- cutting by going up on the day following. Profit they did and had much less snow—even as we came down at night the lower stretches had melted—but for them the mountain was enveloped in clouds after 7 a. m., and I was glad that [ had not waited. One of my guides had an ugly scar from a falling stone that had nearly killed him on the Matterhorn, and this was one of my reasons for preferring to go when not many. others were going. In fact, there was only one other cara- vane on the mountain with me, that of the president of the Swiss Alpine Club, and he had to turn around exhausted within an hour of the summit. Under good conditions the Matterhorn is not now reckoned as presenting extra- ordinary difficulties to experienced climb- ers in good training, but it is “immer anstrengend,” as the Germans say. It is always a great strain, a great test of endurance, because it is hard every min- ute, is very high above the hut, and takes almost as long to come down as to go up. This is the case under all conditions, and now, care and step-cutting over, so much 995] e1oq Aq ojoyg ‘dAoqe Ipryy np aTINSIy oy} Jo pue sueTg juoTY jo sjutod IaMO] OM} asay} Jo Sosduitys [euoises00 3aAv8 SISHUM SUH Joop Oor6 ‘zowseys SiHed Sop a[Msry ulm} oy pue *( 6cg aSed 99S) J2F COL “I IP aypinsry sry SUIGUI[D 919M AX OTT AA MOMOVUd YON LSAL “XINOWVHO Lv dNTIO MOOY LSYI wnO THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZI VE, A WOMAN’S. CLIMBS IN THE HIGH ALPS 663 snow made it much longer and more anxious. We were 19% hours from hotel to summit and_ back, and 16 of them meant con- tinuous hard muscular effort. From 4 a. m. to 8 p. m. I was pulling myself up or let- ting myself down the rocks by sheer force of muscle, never stopping except a few times for a few moments to take a hasty meal or a hasty snapshot. Starting at 2 a.m. and going as fast as caution and breath would permit, it was I p.m. when we reached the summit and 8 p. m. when we got off the rocks. There were no easy bits and never a place to make time by “olissering’’; that is, sliding erect down snow. It was a constant reach and tug, on holds that often seemed 1m- possible for me to reach. There is no shelter after the base hut, and this was a miserable shanty only two hours above the hotel, still 4,000 feet below the summit. An old hut two hours up ons, the rocks is ice-filled. On -f§ the Italian side there is an * Italian Alpine Club Refuge Hee ee Os tees, Only 2,000 feet below the top. By this harder side I had wished to descend; but as on the Weisshorn, conditions now made this “traverse” impossible. From Zermatt the ascent is right up the northeast ridge, the one that is near- est in the familiar view of the mountain. One point is named for a man who lost his life there. Two-thirds of the way up is a break that appears as a white patch at the right in the pictures. This is “the shoulder,” and this we reached at Io a. m., eight hours going and all the worst still ahead (see picture, page 659). Here ropes have been attached to stanch- ions 40 feet apart, for this slope is usually Ad WHAT I TOOK TO BE THE SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC It proved to be another 40 minutes to the real summit, and the altitude was beginning to make me go more slowly. My guide stands sure. of making the steps. He never slips, and he has the work Photo by Dora Keen. glare ice on which “crampons,” or climb- ing irons, are useful. But now, for half the three-quarters of an hour across this part, the ropes were out of reach, buried under two feet of snow. It was steep and every step had to be cut; but at least it was not glare ice. This brought us to the worst part of all, the almost perpendicular ascent of an hour and a half, where ropes only help a panting struggle. “Are you tired?’ my leader constantly asked, as I had to gasp for breath a mo- 664 EEN ACIOIN GP OGRE Ine ENC AVAINi Bs BEFORE STARTING DOWN THE GLACIER DU DOME (MONT BLANC) WE STOPPED TO ENJOY THE VIEW OF ITALY, AND TO DISCARD WRAPS We had already been descending from the summit for three hours. rises the beautiful and difficult Aiguille de Trélatéte, 12,830 feet. Over the standing guide Photo by Dora Keen ON THE FINAL “EASY” GRADE OF THE STEEP SNOW CORNICE (MONT BLANC) WE HAD TO PASS TWO EXHAUSTED GERMANS It is such guideless climbers as these that get into trouble. They had about two hours more to climb to the fireless Refuge Vallot. From here we went straight down. Photo by Dora Keen, A WOMAN’S CLIMBS IN THE HIGH ALPS 665 ment after some 20 or 30 foot sheer climb. It was like going up a wall, pull- ing with both hands on the fixed rope and feeling about: for the occasional footholds.. But just a mo- ment’s halt to regain my breath: was all I ever needed, and at last we gained the final steep and snowy rock-pile, up which there are no ropes. All the way from the shoulder to the top one is exposed to the bitter north wind. The summit was now a cornice of snow, an over- hanging shelf, up and down and along which we had to walk for 20 minutes to reach the highest point. The wind came in freezing gusts. Twice the guides reached quickly toward me, fearful that I would be blown off my feet, as | took my hand off my ice-pick to use my camera. So cold was it and so windy on top that after all our exertion we | could not stop to eat, and 4 there was no other place to | stop until we were past the shoulder again. The diffi- culties of changing films, adjusting a color screen, and of photography in gen- eral may be imagined. After ten minutes we could stand it no longer. It was late, too, and the leader asked me to take no more pictures that day. To go down the rocks to the ropes was appalling at times, so steep and slippery were they. It was here that the fatal accident occurred on the first ascent. But, once at the ropes, we could take occasional short slides down them, cau- tiously, lest we miss the footholds at the end of each bit. Down, down, down we helmet. hide, with half-inch soles and nails. are wound around from ankle to knee to give warmth, and to keep snow and stones from getting into the boots, causing blistered feet. 1 ing two very thick pairs of stockings. The rope is 100 feet long, to give 50 feet of leeway between each two persons tor difficult climbing. head guide is about to tie his end around his waist also. The author and her two guides preparing to leave the Rifugio Torino, 10,900 feet, below the Col du Géant, for the Dent du Géant (see page 671). The goggles and mask are to protect eyes, face, and lips from snow blindness and blistering when on snow on which the sun is shining. Mittens are of the heaviest wool. The woolen cap will pull down like a Boots are raw- Puttees, or cloth bands, All clothing is of warm, light wool, includ- Th e The tourist is always in the center. went for eight hours. At 7.30 it grew quite dark, but we feared the deceptive shadows should we light the lantern. By 8 o'clock we were off the rocks, and at 9.30 back at the hotel, my clothes torn to shreds, but not really tired except a = ax FAS ASE SS ta 2 TN SR ES i oe a a ‘YOUN -Brdqyspisy WIyOAA Aq ojoyg ‘szeu0Ns0do.1d St doy or} ye woyerE[IyX. Jo dstas oUt MG “PlOYdo] & Word Jos 0} YIM wo syutod 1OF ‘ApuUIRA *AJOJeIodsop ‘A]qoaJ “Joof Aus YJLAr yhoqe sSuljooy Fo suse Aur Aq dn FjosAu Ssulpyjnd yo - SUIUIEIIS FO Sd[SSN1}]S [NJML JO ostles V STI AYoryo JoquioWlet 7 WY “MOUS WO1fF COTf SI Yt ‘TOY se ‘otoymM ATUO Pequiys oq URS jyaq oy (129 HOvd WAS) AOGIN LHOIN AML Ad SVM LNHOSV yNO : MO'THA WONT INV Ad INAd AH, AGAZINE M Welaul(C /- NATIONAL GEOGR WUBUE \ ON ws A WOMAN’S CLIMBS little in the knees, from the long descent, and at 6 the next morning we were off for Zer- matt, I to pack up and leave that day. CHAMONIX I had thought the Zermatt climbs difficult and exhilarating. Ex- ercise I had certainly ihad= | larder peaks, steeper and far worse snow, and even worse weather were to give me much more thrilling experiences the next season at Chamonix, France. I] wanted to climb the famous “Aiguilles,’? or rock needles, of the chain of Mont Blanc, but my arrival on the 20th of July, 1910, found the winter’s snow still deeper and further down on the mountains than it had been at Zermatt. Few climb- ers had ventured to: come, and some had gone away in dismay at the conditions. In- stead of improving, they grew continually worse, for there were even fewer clear days than there had been at Zermatt. In three and a half weeks I was able to make only seven ascents and only four first-class ones—Mt. Blanc, the Dent du Géant, the Aiguille des Grands Charmoz, and the Dent du Requin. ‘To these four must I confine myself. Throughout my stay, the two hardest ascents at Cha- monix, those of the Aiguille du Petit Dru and the Aiguille de Grépon, continued to ‘be quite out of the question. Warned by the previous year’s fre- This is from the shoulder of the Requin opposite. IN; THE HIGH ALPS THE DENT DU GEANT FROM ACROSS THE GLACIER DU GEANT, 4,000 FEET BELOW ITS SUMMIT Photo by Dora Keen quent storms, on the day after my ar- rival I started at once> for a climb high enough to make me a little stiff, as it did, being ihe first one, but neither very high nor very hard. We had chosen La Gliére (9,353 feet, 514 hours), one of the Aiguilles Rouges, on the other side of the valley from Mont Blanc, for this first practice climb. 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AG WOMANS ‘CEIMB'S THE AIGUILLE DE LM, 9,302 FEET, AND THE ATGUILLE DES PETITS CHARMOZ, 9,409 FEET, Q HOURS ‘ Next came what is termed “a nice little climb,” the comparatively difficult and interesting but short rock climbs of the Aiguille de 1M (see picture, page 662) and the adjoining Aiguille des Petits Charmoz. MT, BLANC, 15,782 FEET, 1914 HOURS While not of ‘first class,” these two days’ climbs had each meant an ascent of 6,000 feet above the Valley of Cha- monix, and all the muscles had been ex- ercised. A day of rain had intervened between them, and fearing that the weather would again break, my guides started me off the very next day, my fifth at Chamonix, on a hard six-day tour which was to include Mt. Blanc (see picture, page 652) and two of the hard- est of the Aiguilles. The ascent of Mt. Blanc from Cha- monix is not difficult. "There are no rocks. Because of the cold and stormy weather the Glacier des Bossons, in the middle of which is the half-way cabin, was in such good condition that the cre- vasses had hardly had a chance to open and were still filled with snow. The only very steep parts of the ascent are near the top, on the second day. The first day’s ascent lasted only seven hours. When we rose again at midnight, wind, clouds, and the promise of snow made it improbable that we would be able to reach the top, so we stayed comfortably at the Grands Mulets cabin until the next day. Two caravanes that tried for the top got only as far as the last hut, two hours below the top, and back again, for it blew and snowed the whole day: but we were not coming back, and would have had to stay miserably in a cold hut. The only real danger on Mt. Blanc is from sudden storms, for the whole of the second day’s route, up to the top and down again to Chamonix, is on snow, and the beaten tracks quickly become obliterated. If one strays far in the wrong direction, he will get among im- ENO PEE HIGH ALPS 669 passable crevasses, or will come too near to the slopes at the side and may be over- whelmed by avalanches of snow and ice from them; or he may perish from cold. The ascent from the Grands Mulets to the Refuge Vallot above takes four or five hours, in good weather, and to the tiny summit observatory is another two hours. The Refuge Vallot has mat- tresses and blankets, but no wood and no food, and its altitude is 14,312 feet. With the best of conditions, the ascent is, therefore, a long pull, and for the last few hours very cold, because all snow and so high. Hence it is never safe to start for the top without extra warm wraps, special protection for the feet, and a two days’ supply of food. Because of the number of people that have been lost, one short section of the route has now been staked, vet shortly after my ascent two cara- vanes nearly perished far above this point, both from bad judgment. Many people go as far as the Grands Mulets, but one-third of those that start thence for the top turn back at the Grand Pla- teau, 12,900 feet, when two-thirds of the way up, for there it is that the freezing, the mountain sickness, heart failure, vio- lent headache, or difficult breathing begins. Starting from the Grands Mulets at 2.45 a. m., we went as fast as was possi- ble over the fresh snow, up and up amid fairy-like scenes first of full moonlight, then of dawn, and finally of sunrise on the massive stretches and slopes and summits of snow on every side. In seven hours we had reached the top, inclusive of about an hour and a half of stops. to eat. to make adjustments, and to photo- sraph. From the Grand Plateau on, it had been intensely cold. I had a violent headache, and the wind was piercing. Above 15,090 feet IT began to breathe less easily and could not continue to go quite so fast. The day was superb, and we were the only caravane. But we could linger only a half hour at the top. for we were to make the long and for a time difficult descent by the Ttalian side. A snow-covered ice cornice of great 670 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE THE SUMMIT OF THE GRANDS CHARMOZ FROM THE GREPON (SEE PAGE 671) These rocks were a mass of snow when we ascended. We went up to the left, around the corner. The chimney is immediately below the summit, but on the other side. Photo by A. G. Wehrli. A WOMAN’S steepness took what seemed an intermi- nable half hour to descend. Even step- cutting and crampons did not seem to make it safe from slipping. From it we had to descend the very steep Glacier du Dome, which was a mass of crevasses at every turn. To descend it thus in the afternoon of a hot day meant plunging to the knees for two hours in soft snow and going in to the hips below every crevasse over which [| jumped. The tiny hut at the foot was already filled by an ascending caravane, so five hours of interminable walking down the Glacier de Miage and over rough ground on a valley path must be added to our days work. At Io p. m., 19% hours after our start, we came into Courmay- eur, Italy, 11,800 feet below the summit, but not especially tired and with no worse complaint than toes a little sore from the long descent with wet feet. I was the first woman who had reached the top that season and ours the first caravane that had “traversed” Mt. Blanc that year. THE GIANT'S TOOTH—DENT DU GEANT— 13,170 FEET, 744 HOURS By 4.30 the next morning I was awake again, rested and ready to start later in the day for the formidable Dent du Géant, or Giant’s ‘Tooth. From Cour- mayeur to the Col du Géant. the snow- pass from which the ascent was to be made, was a five-hour climb, first up a steep path, then over easy snow slopes and snowy rocks. We intended to spend two nights at the Col; that is, after as- cending the Dent du Géant, to return to the Italian Alpine Club’s Refuge below the Col, in order to climb the Requin en route to Chamonix the next day. The ascent of the Géant was thus to be a short one. Only an hour of level snow was to be crossed, so this time there was no need for an early start. After the snow stretch that lay be- Eween tae Col and the base of the “tooth” there came three-quarters of an hour of steep, snowy rocks and then nearly two hours of the most exhausting work that I have ever done. The tooth, CLIMBS INST Ee HIGH ALPS 671 or rock tower, rises almost perpendicu- larly 500 feet in the air (see pictures, pages 666, 667, and 668). A few fixed cables there are, but they are poor sub- stitutes for a firm grip on rock. They hang loosely and were sometimes above my reach. Harder than the Matterhorn was this Aiguille, while it lasted. To find a hand- hold or foothold, to step or kneel as high as one could, to reach as far and pull as hard as one could, in order to lift one’s self up—this was what it meant, and withal hurried, when already gasping, or cut in two by the rope of a well-meaning but overzealous guide above. Once on top, he explained that the snowstorm in which we were now climbing might turn into an electrical storm, and two guides had once been struck by lightning on this Aiguille. But once down, the strain and the anxiety over, | was not tired, for there had been only five hours of great effort or care, and altogether we had been out only 7% hours. The Dent du Requin is not the Dent du Géant, but its ascent is longer, because it is further from any base, and its “needle” is an even sharper point, with no ropes to pull on. After we had waited 24 hours at the Col for the snow to cease, clearly the Requin could not be done, so down to Chamonix we went—down the full length of the as high as beautiful Mer de Glace, for its upper part, above the Géant, is beautiful, very different from its dirty tongue at the Montanvert. AIGUILLE DES GRANDS CHARMOZ, 11,293 FEET, 1344 HOURS Twenty-four hours of sunshine started us up again the next day for the hard Aiguille “des Grands Charmoz (see pic- ture, page 670); but it was with clouds and uncertain weather that we set out the day following, and conditions proved to be very bad, indeed. The route to the base was the same as for the Petits Charmoz before. Instead of the short snow couloir to the latter. we had now. however, to ascend the worst glacier I have ever been on. The Glacier des AZINE G RAPHIC MA oO VU eG © THE NATIO} t~~ en ‘Ops puoosss s.1oy INL Aq OJOYG “OPIS SI qv xO oy} uo JIAIPUUM SpypOot{ Ou pur “OYOULT EA JUOTUL Ht peu Jvof YIM ‘MOOG ZFLIpMOUsS do9o}s “}FOS OY} SSOID OF Uoog 4b pLy asiOM Yon ‘Syoo1 oy} dn fyosAw pjnd 0} ysOM psvy ATUO st yt ‘yoeot UBD J SB YSIY Se I9UH }Jo] oY} pue ‘JOO} YYSIt 9Y} 10F SUI}OO} pros ‘spjoypuey poos YyUAA “Aouturyo oy} eaoqy NINOAY AHL FO dOL AHL OL HAOW LAHAT ALAM puooes s.1oyjne Sq oJOYg “(P49 osud 90s) SurjyOO} ALU po4oA09 -o4 QUO }v pul JosuRp OU UL SvAL | AVM jyLYy Poddys Joo} Aut UdYM Jey} OS ‘aAOge Joo$ OF “AUTUTYO 94} JO do} oY} ye pooesy [Jam ‘depeay oy} Aq yne} ppoy sem }] ‘soulod odos oy} Yortpar UMOP ‘yoesto JO ,‘AOUTUTYO,, a4} dn surz4e}s ‘JoyIne oy, NIQOUN Ad LNAHd AHL AO dOL AH, dn ONIAWITO see es aS A WOMAN’S CLIMBS IN THE HIGH ALPS Nantillons must be mounted and de- scended, part of the way right in the track of possible avalanches from its rotten cliffs. Being only five feet tall, the chief diff- culty I have in mountain climbing is in being so much shorter than my guides that Lb fail to reach. Steep snow, on which I must keep exactly in their steps, for safety and speed, is therefore much harder for me than rocks. Instead of letting me follow my normal pace, labor- ing as I always had to on snow in order to stride in the steps of my tall leader, he had no mercy, but fairly dragged me along by the rope. He had no choice. It would not do to go under and across where we were going except at a most rapid pace. Nor was this the worst. Above the glacier, on one side rise the very steep snow slopes of the twin Aiguille des Grands Charmoz and the Aiguille de Grépon, on the other the Aiguille de Blaitiere, and the snow on their steep slopes lay not only deep, but soft, and hence ready to slide. To gain the crotch between the Chermoz and the Grépon. from which both are ascended, required an hour’s ascent of a couloir of snow which was soft enough and steep enough to put us in constant dread of our weight starting a whole mass down. Every step had to be kicked in as far as the foot would go, and far above the last one, so as not to have any step undermined by the one below. It was as steep as a ladder and just like one. The steps above were the only handholds, and the pick must be plunged to its hilt and far to one side at every step in order to be out of the line of pressure in case of need to hold to it. At the top came rocks, already steep and difficult enough, and now made slip- pery by deep snowdrifts, and finally a summit chimney, up which I could not reach a single hold and had to be pulled for some 20 feet. The descent was even worse, for before we could get down, midway on the snow couloir, a fierce sun came full on it, increasing its softness and our concern lest it avalanche. Never ee Co One of the many crevasses on the steep Gla- cier du Plan, and with difficulty got around Photo by Dora Keen. which we could not easily cross (see page 674). more than ten minutes did we stop the whole day, and as I used those minutes to photograph, I had had no more than a bite to eat for 12 hours, when at last, at 2 p. m., we reached the end of the snow. COL DES GRANDES MONTETS, 10,634 FEET, IT HOURS More rain and snow alternated with briefest sunshine. One unsuccessful at- tempt of eight hours was made on the Requin, and finally, while waiting for the snow on it to melt, we set out for a very fine snow pass, the Col des Grands 674 Montets. Although high, this ascent in- volved no rocks. It was therefore possi- ble even now, and its location under the _Aiguille Verte and the Aiguille du Dru afforded wonderful views of both, as well as a superb view of “The Aiguilles,” with Mt. Blane for a background. DENT DU REQUIN, 11,214 FEET, 17% HOURS The ascent of the Aiguille, or Dent du Requin, “The Shark’s Tooth,” ranks as the third hardest at Chamonix. The ap- proach was long—three hours up the Mer de Glace, two hours up the steep Glacier du Plan, and finally, two hours cong the face of snowy and precipitous rocks. On the Glacier du Plan it had been hard to find a way among the deep crevasses (see picture, page 673), which were on every side and were filled or covered with treacherous snow. Occa- sionally one of us would sink in to the waist. But the rocks were far worse. Generally bare, we must now take two hours to reach the “shoulder,” instead of the usual 40 minutes, for every step across the snow had to be pounded be- fore venturing to tread on it. Even then every fifth step would give way from under our very feet. Only one person could move at a time, and we had to be careful every moment in order not to go down in the small avalanches that we started. It was 10.45 under a hot sun, seven hours since the start, when we began the acrobatic and difficult ascent to the sum- mit. We saw it close by, and not much higher up; yet it took two hours to reach it in safety, and an hour and a half “> get back from the top to the shoulder. Moreover we “traversed” it, and to come down the steeper side involved a chim- Neve, Olctack mls seey deeph a waheagy rope carried along all day—and on the previous six-day tour—tfor just this pur- pose was doubled over a projecting rock at the top, and each person in turn slid down it to a ledge half way. Since to carry a rope longer than 115 feet would be too heavy, and loose it must be, in order to be pulled down again, an iron THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE. staple had here been driven into the rock. On the slanting, slippery, small shelf opposite it three must find lodgment while the rope was pulled down and doubled over the staple for the other half of the descent. It was thus 2.45 p. m. by the ane we started down from the shoulder. For two hours we had been hearing ava- lanches on every side every few minutes, and this was our real anxiety. Just as carefully as we had come up must we go down the precipitous base rocks, for now the snow was softer, therefore more ready to loosen itself from the rocks and slide: \Whis' was, in) fact) whameace ually happened. Three times did I see the guide below me, to whom I was roped, sliding down, 10, 15, or 20 feet, carried down by snow that had been too soft to bear his weight: But each time he wheeled as he ‘slid slowly down, dug his ice-pick into the snow far above his head, stopped him- self, and climbed up without once drag- ging me down. A truly thrilling day had it been, and 17%4 hours long by the time we got back to the Montanvert. CONTRASTS In summarizing and contrasting these 16 climbs, I should rank the Matterhorn as the hardest, because it was so long under the conditions that we had, and was hard all the time, but the Chamonix guides do not admit that it is harder than the Aiguilles. In general, except for the Matterhorn, the ascents at Cha- monix were harder, more interesting, and more of an anxious strain than those at Zermatt. If one wishes to convince himself of this he has only to consult the tariff for guides for these different as- cents as given in Bedeker. The worst ones at Chamonix are more expensive than the worst at Zermatt, because harder and involving more risk, and the very worst at Chamonix have no tariff. Even Mt. Blane, as we did it, was a 19%4- hour day, the coldest, too, and some hours of it were anxious because of the descent by the Italian side. Monte Rosa and the Weisshorn were also hard. But OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES OF: the hardest exertion of all was probably on the short Dent du Géant, the most continuous anxiety on the Grands Char- moz, and the most thrilling and most in- teresting experiences on the Dent du Reguin. As for views, too, perhaps the Requin was the finest, although they were quite different in character and per- haps not more beautiful than those on Monte Rosa and Mt. Blanc. Clouds veiled the views on the Weisshorn and the Grands Chermoz, but views through mist and peeps through flitting clouds have the added charm of mystery and constant variety. ~] | How one climbs, why-one feels that it is safe to go on such ascents, what one’s sensations actually are, and, above all, what there is to offset such strain and anxiety have hardly been suggested. In so summary a review of merely the chief difficulties of 16 climbs, I cannot hope to have given any of the feeling of the won- ders of the High Alps. For even an idea of what it is really like I must trust to the illustrations, and for the rest can only hope that I have aroused enough interest to stimulate the reader’s own imagination or to make him wish to find out for himself the rewards of mountain climbing. OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES Bye le Room AND Re Roo: Growing bees for pleasure or profit is one of those American industries whose magnitude 1s entirely unsuspected by the average citizen. According to a recent report there are approximately 800,000 persons keeping bees in the United States, and the annual output of honey and beeswax is estimated as worth $22,000,000. One reason that bee-keeping is so popular im this country is that American ingenuity has invented many devices which simplify the work and enable the owner at all times readily to ascertain the health of lis bee colony (see pictures, pages 6So- 083). The following article and photographs are from “The A BC and X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. Root and E. R. Root. The Root family, of Medina, Ohio, are practical apiarists, who have been studying and keeping bees for 40 years and who have originated many of the methods and apparatus that are used by thousands of bee-lovers in all parts of the world. Their book, which may be justly called “a cyclopedia of everything pertaining to the care of the honey-bee,’ contains the results of their long experience and of the observations ‘of tens of thousands of correspondents. It is one of the most fascinating volumes published in along time. The illustrations, of which there are several hundred, are par- ticularly good. E CONFESS we do not like the term ‘anger,’ when ap- plied to bees, and it almost makes us angry when we hear people speak of their being “mad,” as if they were always in a towering rage and de- light to inflict severe pain on everything and everybody coming near them. Bees are, on the contrary, the pleasantest, most sociable, genial, and good-natured little fellows one meets in all animated creation, when one understands them. Why, we can tear their beautiful comb all to bits right before their very eyes: and without a particle of resentment, but with all the patience in the world. they will at once set to work to repair it, and that, too, without a word of re- monstrance. If you pinch them they will sting; and anybody who has energy enough to take care of himself would do as much had he the weapon. We as yet know comparatively very little of bees, and the more we learn NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE i A DISSECTED BEE-TREE, SHOWING THE MANNER IN WHICH THE BEES J RRANGE THE HONEY-COMB IN THE HOLLOW TRUNK Fortunately, in this case the swarm was accommodating enough to make the nest close to the ground, where it could be easily captured. Photo from “A BC and X YZ of Bee Cul- é ee vandi Hark oot: OQURSERIENDS, THE BEES the easier we find it to be to get along without any clashing in regard to who shall be master. In fact, we take all their honey now, almost as fast as they gather it; and even if we are so thought- less as to starve them to death, no word of complaint is made. There are a few circumstances under which bees seem “‘cross,” and, although we may not be able to account exactly for it, we can take precautions to avoid these unpleasant features by a little care. A few years ago a very intelligent friend procured some Italians, an extractor, etc., and commenced bee culture. He scon learned to handle them and suc- ceeded finely. When it came time to extract, the whole business went on so easily that he was surprised at what had been said about experienced hands being needed to do the work. He had been in the habit of doing this work as directed, toward the middle of the day, while the great mass of the bees were in the fields; but in the midst of a heavy yield of clover honey, when the hives were full to overflowing, they were one day stopped by a heavy thunder shower. ‘This, of course, drove the bees home, and at the same time washed the honey out of the blossoms so completely that they had nothing to do but remain in the hives until more was secreted. Not so with their energetic and en- thusiastic owner. As soon as the rain had ceased, the hives were again opened and an attempt made to take out the frames, as but a few hours before; but the bees that were all gentleness then seemed now possessed of the very spirit of mischief and malice; and when all hands had been severely stung, they con- cluded that prudence was the better part of valor and stopped operations for the day. While loads of honey were coming in all the while and every bee rejoicing, none were disposed to be cross; but after the shower all hands were standing around idle, and when a hive was opened each was ready to take a grab from its neighbor, and the result was a free fight in a very short time. Zn O41 There is nothing in the world that will induce bees to sting with such wicked recklessness as to have them get to quar- reling over combs or honey left exposed when they have nothing to do. From a little carelessness in this respect, and nothing else, whole apiaries have been so demoralized that people were stung when passing along the street several rods distant. During the middle of the day, when bees were busily engaged on the flowers during a good yield, we have frequently left filled combs standing on the top of a hive from noon until supper time without a bee touching them; but to do this after a hard rain, or at a time when little or no honey is to be gathered in the fields, might result in the ruin of several colonies and you and your bees being voted a nuisance by the whole neighborhood. DEMONSTRATING BEES AT FAIRS The operator begins his performance by stepping inside the cage of live bees and shutting the door behind him. He then tells the crowd that he is going to handle live bees, every one of which is armed with a sting, and, if any one doubts it, to come forward and he will furnish the “proof.” He then proceeds to take off his coat and vest and roll up his sleeves, take off his collar, and tuck down his shirt-band. It will then be necessary for him to put on bicycle pants-guards, or slip his trousers into his stockings. The crowd will quickly appreciate this part of the performance, because the operator tells them the bees will sting if they get inside of his clothing. With a lighted smoker he opens up the hive. After pulling out the frames he shows the bees and queen on the comb. ‘Then he calls out for everybody to wait and see the next stunt, for he is going to make a swarm. With a large dishpan, which he has previously pro- vided, he shakes two-thirds of the bees off the combs into this pan. Then he takes it up and turns to the crowd, say- ing: “The bees are not real mad yet, so I'll begin to shake them up to make them Photo from “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE oy by A. I. and E. R. Root A PART OF A FIELD OF DANDELIONS IN FULL BLOOM AT MEDINA, OHIO so.” The people wonder what he is going to do, seeing him barearmed and bareheaded. He keeps on shaking until he has the bees all in one big ball, and to the un- initiated it looks as if they would sting him to death. But no; the continual shaking is the very thing that makes them gentle instead of cross. He now runs his hand under the ball of bees, pushing it under gently, being careful not to pinch any. The movement must be very deliberate—so slow, in- deed, that the hand scarcely seems to OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES move. He picks up a handful and holds them up for the crowd to look at. If he has good nerves he can shake the hand- ful on top of his head and in the mean- time pick up another handful. YOUNG BEES AT WORK The first day after the young bee gnaws its way out of the cell it does little but crawl around; but about the next day it will be found dipping greed- so on for a week or more. the first day it wilf-also begin to look after the wants of the unsealed larve, and very soon assists in furnishing the milky food for them. While doing so a large amount of pollen is used, and it is supposed that this larval food is pollen and honey, partially digested by these young nurses. Bees of this age, or a little older, supply royal jelly for the queen-cells, which is the same, probably, as the food given very small larve. Just before they are sealed up, larve to produce worker-bees and drones are fed on a coarser, less perfectly digested mixture of honey and pollen. Young bees have a white, downy look until they are a full week old, and con- tinue a peculiar young aspect until they are quite two weeks old. At about this latter age they are generally active comb- builders of the hive. When a week or ten days old they take their first flight out of doors. We know no prettier sight in the apiary than a host of young Ital- ians taking a playspell in the open air in front of their hive. Their antics and gambols remind one of a lot of young lambs at play. It is also very interesting to see these little chaps bringing their first load of pollen from the fields. If there are plenty of other bees in the hive of the proper age, they will not usually take up this work until about two weeks old. The first load of pollen is to a young bee just about what the first pair of pants is to a boy-baby. Instead of going straight into the hive with its load, as the veterans do, a vast amount of circling round the entrance After about ~ 679 Photo from “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture.” by A. I. and E. R. Root A LIVE. BEE HAT must be done; and even after the young bee has once alighted it takes wing again before rushing all through the hive, to jostle nurses, drones, and perhaps the queen, too, saying as plainly as could words, “Look! Here am I. I gathered this, all myself. Is it not nice?” We might imagine some old veteran, who had brought thousands of such loads, answering gruffly, “Well, suppose you did; what of it? You had better put it in a cell and start off after more, instead of making all this row and wast- ing time, when there are so many mouths to feed.” ae We said«we might imagine this, for we have never been able to find any indi- cation of unkindness inside a beehive. THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Photos from “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root YEARNING CONDITION OF HIVE WITHOUT REMOVING COVER OR PULLING TO PIECES OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES No one scolds or finds fault, and the children are never forced to work. Ji they are im- provident and starvation comes, they all suffer alike, and, we do believe, without a single bit of hard feeling or censure toward any one. They all work together, just as your right hand as- sists your left, and if we would understand the economy of the beehive, it were well to bear this point in mind. Shortly following the impulse for pollen - col- lecting comes that for honey-gathering, and the bee is probably in its prime as a worker when a month old. At this age it can, like a man of 40. tucn its hand’ to almost any domestic du- ties; but if the hive is well supplied with work- ers of all ages, it now probably does most ef- fective service in the field. 681 CHARLES MONDENG AND HIS SON NORMAN DEMONSTRATING ADEL BEES AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR Norman Mondeng is only 11 years old, yet he handles bees BEFORE SWARMING, BEES SEND OUT SCOUTS Where a colony gets without fear. excessively strong, the inmates of the hive, by a sort of preconcerted mutual agreement, divide themselves off into two parties, one re- maining in the old hive and the other starting out to seek their fortunes else- where. We have carefully watched this pro- ceeding with a view of determining how the matter comes about ; that is, whether it is because a part of the bees become dissatisfied with their old home and seek to better their condition, or because the queen leaves, for some reason of her own (because she has not room to lay His entire clothing was a bathing suit. deng and his son were awarded the first prize for bee demonstra- tion—first prize on golden Italian bees and first prize on leather- colored Italian bees. Culture,” by A. IL and E. R. Root. Mr. Mon- Photo from “A B C and X YZ of Bee her eggs, for instance), and the bees simply follow from a sort of natural instinct, since she is the mother of the colony and an absolute necessity to their prosperity. After seeing a number of swarms issue, and finding that the queen was among the last to leave the hive, we concluded that the bees take the lead, and that the queen simply followed as a matter of course in the general melee. Suppose, however, that the queen should not take a notion to join the new 682 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE EDITOR OF “A B C AND X Y Z OF BEE CULTURE’ HANDLING BEES: A COMFORTABLE POSITION FOR ALL-DAY WORK Note that the left arm that supports the weight of the frames rests comfortably on the knee. Photo from “A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root adventure. Swarms do sometimes start out without a queen accompanying them, but they usually go back to the hive, after a time, to try it again next day. If she does not go then, nor at the next attempt, they often wait until they can rear a new queen, and then go off with her. After we were pretty well satisfied that this is the correct idea of their plan, a little circumstance seemed to upset it all. A neighbor, wanting to make an ob- servatory hive, drummed perhaps a quart of bees from one of his old hives. As he had no queen, we gave him a black one, taken from a colony purchased sev- eral miles away. We mention this to show that the queen had never been out of the hive in the location which it then occupied. After a day or two this neighbor in- formed us that we had played a fine trick on him, for our queen had gone home and taken his quart of bees with her. We told him it was impossible, for she had never been out of the hive, ex- OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES 683 Photos from “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root HOW BEES AND QUEENS ARE PUT UP IN A MAILING CAGE: INSERTING THE CAPTIVE QUEEN IN HER CAGE BENTON MAILING CAGE, IN WHICH A QUEEN BEE CAN SAFELY TRAVEL FROM THE UNITED STATES TO AUSTRALIA 684 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Photo from “A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root EFFECT OF A STING NEAR THE EYE cept when we carried her over in the cage. We went and looked in the hive she came from, and there she was, true enough, with the bees she had brought with her stung to death in front and on the bottom-board. It is possible that the bees swarmed out first; but, even if they did, they certainly followed the queen in going back to her old home. We also know that bees sometimes follow a young queen when she goes out to take her wedding-flight. It is our opinion that neither queen nor workers alone make the first start, but all hands join together and act in concert. While it is true that a swarm will issue without any previous preparation when a swarming craze is on in the yard, the great majority of colonies preparing to swarm send out scouts, or prospectors. These bees hunt up cavities in hollow trees, or even seek out empty hives, and commence “cleaning house”. The num- ber of scouts having located a home will increase until there appears to be quite a little swarm, and sometimes one is led to believe there is a case of robbing go- ing on, especially if the scouts have entered an empty hive containing combs. They will continue to make their visita- tions day by day, and in the meantime they busy themselves by cleaning house. When the day comes for the swarm to issue, the scouts appear to make it their business to lead the flying. bees to this new location. Just how they do this cannot be definitely shown; but that they do lead these swarms to particular abodes has been so clearly proven that there is no further question about it. This shows why a swarm will sometimes “light out” without even clustering. Following the lead of their scouts, they will go directly to their new home, which has been already prepared. As a general rule a swarm clusters first. Whether this is for the purpose of getting the scouting party “organized” and into action no one knows. If the scouts have not already found a location, it is possible that the clustered swarm is sending out some scouts to prospect; and, having found a hollow tree, they will go back to the cluster, when all will “hike” for the new home. While these may be fanciful sugges- tions, it may account for the reason why a swarm will sometimes hang on a tree for several days, the inference being that the scouts have failed to locate any suit- able home. BEES DO NOT INJURE SOUND FRUIT Every now and then we hear com- plaints of how bees will attack and eat up fruit; and, to a casual observer, at least, they apparently do bite through the skin and extract the juices until the specimen is shriveled up to a mere sem- blance of its former shape and size. Careful investigation has shown repeat- edly that bees never attack sound fruit, no matter how soft the skin nor how juicy and pulpy the contents within the skin. The authors have had, during the past 30 years, between 300 and 400 colonies EE 6S = }: uv OUR FRIENDS, THE I ‘JOOY YW A pure Ty Aq ,foanqypnyp sq Jo Z KR X puro q yY,, Wosf OJoyq ‘(649 asvd dos) PoOoIq oY} FOF POOF AOF oYVO Plvy V OJUL UMOP jE YsvL puL Uo[jod oy} oYV} Uoy) Sod SUISINN ‘S]foo oY} FO WOO OY} OF JJO SPLOT 9} SYIIY Uo} pu sSo] UopL|-Uo][Od sz Sasso49 doq OY} OATY OY} SULIO}UO UG ‘sso[ a[ppru pue atof s}t uO sourds pue savy Ysno.t oy} pue ansuo0} s}t JO suvolU Aq Stoy VS JL YOM UT[Od oY} pottofysuvs, SE YIM OF .Joyseq-uoqpod,, B VALY 99q Yovo JO sso] 1v9I oy, “APO s}t sv asIv] sev jsOufe UT[Od FO sossvUl OM} YA “TOUIOD PULY-}YSEI 1OMO] OY} UL 99q oY} 9JON SOWT MIA NO NWVIOd FO SHSSVIN HALIM Sad Photo onl “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root LIMB OF A TREE CUT OFF WITH THE SWARM READY TO HIVE located in ‘a vineyard at their home apiary. Notwithstanding hundreds and hundreds of pounds of grapes are raised every year, the bunches hanging within three or four feet of the entrance of the hives, the sound fruit is never attacked, but during a dearth of honey, a broken or otherwise bruised bunch of grapes will occasionally be visited by a few bees. The writer of this article has attended various -horticultural and pomological conventions, both State and national. Among the progressive fruit-growers and horticulturists there is a general acknowledgment that bees do not attack sound fruit; that the little damage they do to damaged fruit is compensated for THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE a hundred times over by the indispensable service they perform in pollinat- ing fruit-blossoms early in the season, when no other insects or means of mingling the pollen exists. Indeed, some of our best fruit - growers are now keeping a few hives of bees in each of their orchards. Often they invite bee-keepers to locate yards of bees either in the orchards or as near as it is practi- cable to put them. But a casual observer might easily get the im- pression that bees not only suck damaged fruit dry, but actually punc- ture and eat up sound fruit. Some years ago a neighbor sent word to us that he would like to have us come up to his vineyard and he would give us _ undisputable proof that our bees were actually puncturing his grapes and sucking out the fruit. We looked at the lus- cious bunches as they were hanging down, and, sure enough, there were small, needle-like holes in al- most every berry that the bees were working on. It looked like a clear case of “caught-in-the-act” evidence against them. For the time being we were un- able to offer a satisfactory explanation. We brought the matter to the attention of an old farmer who had been a bee- keeper for many years.. Finally one morning he sent word to us that he had found the guilty culprit, and that if we would come down to his place early some morning he would point him out. ‘This we did. He showed us a little bird, quick. of flight, and almost never to be seen around the vines when any human being Photos from ‘‘A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” b VIEW OF THE APIARY OF A. I. ROOT CO., SHOWING HIVES IN THE FOREGRC WITH A GRAPEVINE AT EACH HIVE (SE E 6 A SWARM EF 688 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Photo from “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and EF. R. Root A FINE, SYMMETRICAL SWARM WITHIN EASY REACH was present. This bird, about the size of a sparrow, striped, and called the Cape May warbler (Dendroica tigrina), has a long, sharp, needle-like beak. It will alight on a bunch, and, about as fast as one can count the grapes, will punc- ture berry after berry. After his birdship has done his mis- chief he leaves, and then come the inno- cent bees, during the later hours of the day, and finish up the work of destruc- tion by sucking the juices and the pulp of the berry until it becomes a withered skin over a few seeds. . While the birds during the early hours of the day are never seen, the bees, coming on later, receive all the credit for the mischief. The Cape May warbler is not the only bird guilty of puncturing grapes. There are many other species of small birds that learn this habit, and among them we may name the ever-present sparrow and the beautiful Baltimore oriole, the sweet singer that is sometimes called the swinging bird, from its habit of building its nest on some overhanging limb. BEES AND ANTS Although we have given the matter considerable attention, we cannot find that ants are guilty of anything that should warrant, here in the North, the aplarist in waging any great warfare against them. Some years ago a visitor frightened us by saying that the ants about our apiary would steal every drop of honey as fast as the bees could gather it. Accordingly we prepared ourselves with a tea-kettle of boiling water, and not only killed the ants, but some grape- vines growing near. Afterward. there came a spring when the bees, all but about 11 colonies, dwin- dled away and died, and the hives filled with honey, scattered about the apiary unprotected, seemed to be as fair a chance for the ants—that had not “dwin- dled” a particle—as they could well ask for. We watched to see how fast they would carry away the honey; but, to our astonishment, they seemed: to care more for the hives that contained bees than OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES 689 MUD BEEHIVES IN JEZREEL, PALESTINE Photo by I. W. Metcalf, Oberlin, Ohio; from “A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root DUTCH SWARM SPECIALISTS INSPECTING BARGAINS AT THE BEE-MARKET IN HOLLAND Contrast with the simplicity of the American hive. Photo from “A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root AL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE = IN i AMIBUS, INPATE O)} 690 OIHO ‘VNIGHW ‘ANVIdV AWOH S ANVdNOD LOOU “I ‘V HHL LV ONIGHAM-HAd NI NOSSHT ISaId YIHHY ONIAVL WAV 700Y “WY HW pure Tv Aq .,o1myynD veg Jo ZX X PUR D A V>, Wor} OJ0Nd ‘SUMLSV IN IOOHOS aNV SWY,VIN’IOOHOS OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES for those containing only [| | honey. We soon determined that it was the warmth from ; the cluster that especially at- |§ | 4) tracted them; and, as the | hives were directly on ‘the ground, the ants soon moved into several that contained only a small cluster and for a while both used one com- mon entrance. As the bees increased they began to show a decided aversion to having two families in the same house, although the ants were evi- dently inclined to be peace- able enough until the bees tried to “push” matters, when they turned about and showed themselves fully able to hold possession. The bees seemed to be studying over the matter for a while, and finally we found them one day taking the ants, one by one, and carrying them high up in the air and letting them drop at such a dis- tance from their home that they would surely never be able to walk back again. The bees, as fast as they became strong colonies, drove the ants out; and our ex- perience ever since has been that a good colony of bees is never in any danger of being troubled in the least by ants. One weak colony, after battling awhile with a strong nest of the ants, swarmed out; but they might have done this any- way, so we do not lay much blame to the ants. But ants do prove to be very annoying in those apiaries where there is any at- tempt to keep the grass down with a lawn-mower. The little hillocks that they make all over the yard disfigure it to some extent, as well as forming more or less obstruction to the scythe and lawn-mower. BREEDING BEES FOR IMPROVED VARIETIES In the breeding of domestic animals it is possible to mate together a choice male and a choice female. Much could be ac- complished in the way of improved stock Photo from “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root A COLONY WITH AN ENTRANCE TOO SMALL, WHERE THE BEES HAVE FORMED THE LOAFING HABIT if we could also control the male parent- age of bees, and we do not know but that in-breeding, according to modern meth- ods now known in stock-raising, might Seciiren foi US wal face votmbees) Sreatly superior to anything we now know. Just at present it seems very desirable that bees with longer tongues be bred, so that the nectar in the deep corolla- tubes of red clover, in the horsemint of Texas, and the mountain sages of Cali- fornia, as well as hundreds of other flowers, could be reached. Tons and tons of honey might thus be secured that otherwise goes to waste. *Bee-keeping is one of the best of the life-saving, nerve-healing avocations. It takes the mind from household cares as completely as would a trip to Europe, for one cannot work with bees and think of anything else. Some of the attributes which make bee-keeping an interesting avocation [ will mention. First of all, bees are such wonderful creatures and so far beyond our com- prehension that they have for us always the fascination of an unsolved problem. I never pass our hive without mentally asking, “Well, you dear little rascals, what will you do next?” * This and following paragraphs were writ- ten by Mrs. Anna B. Comstock. KINDERGARTEN METHODS IN BEE-KEEPING “There she is, daddy.” Photo from “A B C and XYZ or Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root Looking for the queen. OUR FRIENDS, THE BEES RENOS-; AIRES 693 S.S; HORTENS ty $ RUBNOS=ATRES $.$.HORTENSIUS * eee : was ‘ : nts Photo from “A B Cand X Y Z of Bee Culture,” by A. I. and E. R. Root HIVES OF BEES PACKED FOR EXPORT TO ARGENTINA Bees are of particular interest to woman for several reasons: if she likes good housekeeping, then the bee is a model ; if she likes a woman of business, again is the bee a shining light; if she is interested in the care of the young, then is the bee-nurse an example of per- fection; if she believes in the political rights of woman, she will find the highest feminine political wisdom in the consti- tution of the bee commune. In fact, it is only as a wife that the bee is a little too casual to pose as ideal, although as a widow she is certainly remarkable and perhaps even notorious. As a means of cultivating calmness, patience, and self-control, the bee is a well-recognized factor. Bees can be, and often are, profoundly exasperating ; and yet how worse than futile it 1s to evince that exasperation by word or movement! No creature reacts more quickly against irritation than the bee. She cannot be kicked nor spanked; and if we smoke her too much we ourselves are the losers. There is only one way to manage exasperation with bees—that is, to control it—and this makes the aplary a means of grace. The money-making side of bee-keep- ing is a very important phase in arousing and continuing the woman’s interest in her work. I think woman is by birth and training a natural gambler, and the uncertainties of the nectar supply and of the honey market add to rather than de- 694 tract from her interest in her apiary. I know of several women who have made comfortable incomes and supported their families by bee-keeping; but, as yet, I think such instances are few. However, I believe there are a large number of women who have added a goodly sum yearly to their amount of spending money, and have found the work a joy instead of a drudgery. Personally I have had very little ex- perience with the commercial side of bee-keeping. Once, when our madden- ingly successful apiary grew to 40 hives when we did not want more than a dozen at most, and the neighborhood was surfeited with our bounty, we were “just naturally’ obliged to sell honey. We en- joyed greatly getting the product ready for market, and were somehow surprised that so much fun could be turned into ready cash. As a matter of fact, both my husband and myself have absorbing vocations and avocations in plenty, so that our sole reason for keeping bees is because we love the little creatures, and find them so interesting that we would not feel that home was really home without them. The sight of our busy little co-workers adds daily to our psychic income. We are so very busy that we have very little time to spend with them, and have finally formulated our ideal for our own bee-keeping, and that is to keep bees for honey and for “fun”. We shall have plenty of honey for our own table, and just enough to bestow on the neighbors so they will not get tired of it; and fun enough to season life with an out-of- door interest and the feeling that no summer day is likely to pass without a surprise. REVIEW OF GOOD BOOKS “Roman Cities in Italy and Dalmatia.” By A. L. Frothingham, Ph.D. Pp. 343; 8% x6 inches. 100 illustrations and map. New York: Sturgis & Walton. Professor Frothingham, who holds the chair of Ancient History and Archeology at Prince- ton University, has produced in this a most valuable work. The picture of Ancient Italy THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE and pre-Augustan Rome, drawn from her rivals, is of absorbing interest, and the author presents his observations in what might be termed popular form. After a trip through Italy and Dalmatia, where the evolution of these centuries can be studied without foreign admixture, this book brings us back to Rome with a far more com- plete idea of its ancient art and culture. “Lassoing Wild Animals in Africa.” H. Scull. Pp. 135; photographic illustrations. The Frederick A. Stokes Co. net. By Guy 544 x8 inches. 32 New York: Price, $1.25 We have had a number of valuable books on big game hunting in Africa with guns, but the account of this expedition into the. heart of the . big game country to lasso the lion, rhinoceros, cheetah, giraffe, hartebeest, etce., and making photographs of the operation is truly remark- able and of absorbing interest. Colonel Roose- velt has written an introduction, in which he says in part: “No hunting trip which took place in Africa was more worthy of com- memoration, and the feats of roping these animals showed a cool gallantry and prowess which would rejoice the hearts of all men.” The photographs of the actual operation, taken by the well-known English bird photographer, Kearton, are splendid. “A Guide to Great Cities—Western Europe.” By Esther Singleton. Pp. 350. 12 illus- trations. New York: The Baker & Taylor Company. Price, $3.00 net. This book, for the younger generation of travelers and readers, describes the great cities of France and Spain and Portugal. The value of holding the interest of youth has been well considered, and the volume will most certainly stimulate a geographical interest in the youth- ful breast. “The Toll of the Arctic Seas.” By Deltus M. Edwards. Pp. 440. 6%4x8¥% inches. I1- lustrations with half-tones and 4 maps, in- cluding a map of the Arctic regions by Gilbert H. Grosvenor. New York: Henry Holt & Co. Price, $2.50 net. This is an account of the principal exploring expeditions to the far north, commencing with Barents in 1594, and ending with Peary’s con- quest of the North Pole in 1909. The work of seventeen explorers is thus summarized. ; Tt is a most useful book, for between its covers are told the main features of the ex- ploration of the north and the search for the Pole. It is rather surprising to find such a work, which, of course, can hit only the high places—a series of very readable stories. Vou. XXH, No: 8 WASHINGTON AUGUST, 1911 NOTES ON THE SEA By EpwiIn HE Bornean jungles are immense } tracts of country covered by gigantic trees, in the midst of which are mountains clothed in ever- green foliage, their barren cliffs buried beneath a network of creepers and ferns. The striking features are the size of the enormous forest trees and the closeness of their growth, rather than their loveli- ness or brilliancy of color. In the tropi- cal forests few bright-colored flowers relieve the monotony of dark green leaves and dark brown trunks and branches of trees. The prevailing hue of tropical plants is a somber green. The greater and lesser trees are often loaded with trailers and ferns, among which huge masses of the elkhorn fern are often conspicuous. But there is little color to relieve the monotony of all these somber hues. Here and there may be seen some creeper with red berries, and many _ bright-colored orchids hang high overhead. But it is impossible for the observer to gain a favorable position for beholding the richest blooms, which often climb far above him, turning their faces towards the sunlight above the roof of foliage. These regions are still inhabited by -tume. OF BORNEO* DYAKS H. Gomes weird ceremonies, and cherishing strange superstitions and curious customs, de- lighting in games and feasts, and repeat- ing ancient legends of their gods and heroes. But in a few years “all these things will be forgotten; for in Borneo, as elsewhere, civilization is coming— coming quickly—and all the distinctive Dyak customs will soon be things of the past. Already the Dyak is mixing with other races in the towns, and is changing his picturesque dress for Western cos- He is fast forgetting his old prac- tices and his old modes of thought. The tropical forests of Sarawak were much the same years ago as they are today. But the life of the Dyak is al- ready greatly changed and his lot im- proved by the introduction of just rule, law and order, and respect for human life. For a moment let us go back to the past and try to picture the life of the Sea Dyak as it was some 60 years ago. In those days there was constant war- fare between the different tribes, and the Dyaks lived together in large numbers in their long houses, which had stockades around them, so that they had some de- fense against anv sudden attack. Very often the young braves would. make an half-clad men and women, living quaint expedition against some neighboring lives in their strange houses, observing tribe, simply because they wanted to * Abstracted from Mr. Gomes’ exceedingly entertaining narrative, “Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,” published by Je. 18 Lippincott Co. 696 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE } A DYAK GIRL DRESSED IN ALI, HER FINERY TO ATTEND A FEAST She has in her hair a comb decorated with silver filigree work. Round her neck is a necklace of beads. ‘The rings round her body are made of hoops of cane, round which little brass rings are arranged close together, so that none of the cane is visible. These hoops are worn next to the body, above the waist and over the petticoat below. The silver coins fastened to this brass corset, and worn as belts around it, are the silver coins of the country. The petticoat is a broad strip of cloth, sewn together at the ends and having an opening at the top and bottom. It is fastened at the waist with a piece of string. From “Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes. J. B. Lippincott Co. MES we News, OF BORNEO 697 A DYAK WOMAN IN EVERY-DAY COSTUME She is wearing a necklace of small silver current coins, fastened together with silver links. The bangles are hollow and of silver or brass, made separately, but worn several together on each wrist. The two favorite colors for petticoats are blue and red. The red petticoat, as in the picture, has often a design in white worked or woven into it. From pas Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes. J. B. Lippincott O. THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 698 ‘oD Woourddry ‘gq ‘[ ‘sowor "}] urmMpy Aq ,,ooulog jo syvhq eoG 94} SuUOolUy siva_ Ud0}UEAIG,, Woly ‘peurejqo 918 Yjo[D yeAC Ul suts}jed JUoIIIpP oy} JeYy suvoul sty} Aq st jy ‘“aAp ay} Aq pojooye oq Jou Avu pot} oie yorum sjred oy} ofp s1epnosed Aue ut poeddip ose Aoy, uoym yey} Os ‘aAvaM Ady} speosy} oy} dn 91} UatIOM 9Y} SI} YITA\ UAdIa WOM SHAVAT W’IVd DONIdVUOS ‘O-) Hoourddry ‘gq “[ ‘souloy) “H{ uImMpy Aq ,‘oou10g JO syvAC{ vas oy} SUOWY sied_ Us2IJUBAISG,, WOT “Jopynoys Ysli Joy 1J9AO sunjs st Joyor! oH ‘Siv9 JOY Ul SSUTIIV PUP SjsIIM Joy UO soysueq sey W949 ‘SUIOD JOATIS FO S}faq 9oI1Y4} PUe ‘USstIOM oY} Aq UIOM Yas10d ssvIq 94} st Apoq Joy punoy ‘suojjnq JoATIs 10 sseiq jo DEP V PU IVY JOY Ul CUIOD JdISI[ JOATIS @ SIvaM 9YG Walud MVAC V DEE SEE DeAKS OF BORNEO bring home, each man of them, the ghastly trophy of a human head, and thus gain favor in the eyes of the Dyak girls. In these expeditions many were killed and many taken captive, to be the slaves of the conquerors. Many of the Sea Dyaks joined the Malays in their piratical attacks upon trading boats. It was the practice of the Malay pirates and their Dyak allies to wreck and destroy every vessel that came near their shores, to murder most of the crew who offered any resistance, and to make slaves of the rest. The Malay fleet consisted of a large number of long war-boats, or prahus, each about 90 or more feet long, and carrying a brass gun in the bows, the pirates being armed with swords and spears and muskets. Each boat was paddled by from 60 to 80 men. These terrible craft skulked about in the sheltered coves waiting for their prey, and attacked merchant vessels making the passage between China and Singapore. These piratical raids were often made with the secret sanction of the native rulers, who obtained a share of the spoil as the price of their conni- vance. The Dyaks gladly joined the Malays in these expeditions, not only for the sake of obtaining booty, but because they could thus indulge in their favorite pur- suit, and gain glory for themselves by bringing home human heads to decorate their houses with. The Dyak bangkongs were long boats capable of holding as many as 80 men. They often had a flat roof, from which the warriors fought, while their comrades paddled below. Both the piracy and the terrible cus- tom of head-hunting were put down by Sir James Brooke. The romantic story of how he came to be the first Rajah of Sarawak may here be briefly recalled. James Brooke was born on April 20, 1803. His father was a member of the civil service of the East India Company, and spent a great many years in India. Following in his father’s footsteps, he entered the company’s service, and was sent out to India in 1825. Not long after his arrival he was put in command of a 699 regiment of soldiers and ordered to Bur- mah, where he took part in the Burmese War; and, being dangerously wounded in an engagement, was compelled to re- turn home on furlough. For over four years his health prevented him from re- joining his regiment, and when at last he started, the voyage out was so protracted, through a shipwreck and other misfor- tunes, that his furlough had expired be- fore he was able to reach his destination. His appointment consequently lapsed, and he quitted the service in 1830. In that same year he made a voyage to China, and was struck by the natural beauty and fertility of the islands of the Indian Archipelago and horrified with the savagery of the tribes inhabiting them, who were continually at war with one another and engaged in a monstrous system of piracy. He conceived the grand idea of rescuing them from bar- barism, and of extirpating piracy in the Eastern Archipelago. On the death of his father he inherited the sum of £30,000, and found himself in a position to carry out his schemes. He bought and equipped a yacht, the Royalist, and for three years he cruised about, chiefly in the Mediterranean, training his crew of 20 men for the arduous work that lay before them. On October 27, 1838, he sailed from the Thames on his great adventure, trav- eled slowly on the long journey round the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived in Singapore in 1839. Here he met a ship- wrecked crew, who had lately come from Borneo. They said they had been kindly treated by Muda Hassim, a native rajah in Borneo, and they asked Mr. James Brooke to take presents and letters of thanks to him, if he should be going thither in his yacht. Mr. Brooke had not decided which of the many islands of the Eastern Archi- pelago he would visit, and he was as ready to go to Borneo as to any other. So, setting sail, he made his way up the Sarawak River, and anchored off Ku- ching on August 15, 1839. The country was nominally under the rule of the Sultan of Brunei, but his uncle, Rajah Muda Hassim, was then the greatest 700 power in the island. As he was favor- able to English strangers, Mr. Brooke paid him the customary homage, and was favorably received and given full license to visit the Dyaks of Lundu. The Rajah was at this time engaged in war with several fierce Dyak tribes in the province of Sarawak, who had re- volted against the Sultan; but his efforts to quell this rebellion were ineffectual. The absolute worthlessness of the native troops under his command, and his own weakness of character, induced him to cling to Mr. Brooke, in whom he recog- nized a born leader of men, and he ap- pealed for his help in putting down the insurgents and implored him not to leave him a prey to his enemies. The Rajah even offered to transfer the government of the province to Brooke if he would remain and take command. This offer he felt bound at the time to decline, but it led to his obtaining a position of au- thority at Sarawak useful for the pur- poses of trade. With James Brooke’s help the rebel- lion, which the Malay forces were too feeble to subdue, was effectually stayed. ‘The insurgents were defeated in a battle in which Brooke, with the crew of his yacht and some Malay followers, took part. For his services on this occasion Muda Hassim conferred on him the title of Rajah of Sarawak, and this was the first step towards that larger sovereignty which he afterwards acquired. Some time elapsed, however, before the Sultan of Brunei could be induced to confirm the title. Mr. Brooke at once took vigorous action, making many reforms and introducing a system of administra- tion far superior to any that the native authorities had ever dreamed of, and in September, 1841, the government of Sarawak and its dependencies was form- ally made over to him. In the following year the Sultan of Brunei confirmed what Rajah Muda Hassim had done, on the condition that the religion of the Mohammedans of the country should be respected. And now Rajah Brooke found himself in a position of authority which enabled AEE, NAS © INANE Gils OE RoE Ee VAN Ey NAN him to bring all his administrative powers into operation. He saw clearly that the development of commerce would be the most effective means of civilizing the na- tives, and to make this possible it was necessary to suppress the hideous piracy, which was not only a curse to the savage tribes, appealing as it did to their worst instincts, but a standing danger to both European and native traders in those seas. ; In the suppression of piracy James Brooke found a vigorous ally in Captain (afterwards Admiral) Keppel, who, in command of H. M. S. Dido, was sum- moned from the China station in 1843 for this service. Various expeditions were organized and sent out against the marauders, the story of which has been told by himself. The pirates were at- tacked in their strongholds by Captain Keppel and other commanders of British ships. They fought desperately and the slaughter was immense. The pirate crews found the entrances to the rivers blocked up by English gunboats and their retreat cut off. These strenuous meas- ures soon cleared the seas. The practice of head-hunting was also dealt with by Sir James Brooke. He de- clared it to be a crime punishable with death, and by his vigorous treatment of head-hunting parties he gave the death- blow to this horrible national custom. After his strenuous life in Sarawak, Sir James Brooke had a great desire to visit England. Besides other reasons, the wish to see his relatives and friends, he felt he could effect more for the in- habitants of Borneo by a personal inter- view with government ministers in EKng- land than by correspondence. He left Sarawak, and reached England early in October, 1847. There honors awaited him. He was presented with the free- dom of the city of London; Oxford Uni- versity conferred upon him the degree of LL. D.; he was graciously received at Windsor by the Queen and the Prince Consort. The British government rec- ognized the work he had done, and ap- pointed him Governor of Labuan and commissioner and consul general in Bor- ee THE SEA DYAKS OF BORNEO 701 rc ase —— es — - = re A THREE DYAK BELLES DRESSED IN THEIR FINERY The girls on the right and left wear collars worked with beads and colored threads. They are all wearing ear pendants and belts made of silver coins. From “Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes. J. B. Lippincott Co. _ —_ = 2 ——— —_—— ~~ ao rs —S — ee ee AT, GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, = ot NATIO!I Tals ‘od Yoourddry ‘gq ‘[ ‘sowioy ‘YY urmpy Aq (oauiog Jo syekC] Beg oy} Suouly Siva_ USIU2AVS,, WOT “IQATIS JO SsSBIq FO SUONG VS1e] FO VpeUl ddBPYOoU eB Sey Ys Ue ‘IRaM UdWOM IY} JoSIOD SSBIG oT} SI P J TUIO MVAC V Apoq Joy punory ‘o-) Hoourddry “q “[ ‘soworn “fF, UIMpyy Aq (oaus0g yO syvkq B2g oY} SuomMy SivoX Weo}teAss,, WOAT “Opn [evloues e se ‘joxoel suo pure sjyeoorjjod OM} FO S}STSUOD 4] ‘QAISUOJX® JOU St SqO1preMm SuvUIOM VW “‘Apryyun Area u059q, Aywuenbesy Aoy} poltivut o1e Ady} UsyM nq “UIeA ATOA U9}}O aie pUL ‘SUITOTO Mey} JO [NJored ATOA 91B s[uis ayy, “AeMe Surynd e10foq yeoorjjod ve dn Surpjoz pue yeur B UO peyPoS THID MVAC V THE SEA DYAKS OF BORNEO neo; and- made him a K. C. B.. The war- rant of investiture was issued by Her Majesty on May 22, 1848. The extirpation of piracy was the first step towards introducing into the coun- try the blessings of a settled govern- ment, with all its civilizing influences. But he was not satisfied with this, and soon began to take measures for the es- tablishment of a Christian mission in Sarawak. When Sir James Brooke vis- ited England in 1847, he appealed to the Church, and especially to the two uni- versities, to come to his aid. Neither of the two great missionary societies was able at the time to under- take this new enterprise through lack of funds, and a new organization, the “Bor- neo Church Mission,’ was founded, which labored in the island for a few years. Then, in 1854, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in For- eign Parts was able to take up the work, and has ever since been responsible for it. The original organization had, how- ever, done well in the choice of the mis- sionaries it sent out, the first of whom was the Rev. F. T. McDougall, who was consecrated Bishop of Labuan and Sara- wak in 1855. ‘My father, the Rev. W. H. Gomes, B. D., worked under Bishop McDougall aS a missionary among the Dyaks of Lundu from 1852 to 1867, and I myself have worked, under Bishop Hose, as a missionary in Sarawak, for 17 years, and have thus gained an intimate knowledge of the people and of their lives, now so rapidly changing under western influ- ence. Sir James Brooke was a man of the highest personal character. That a young English officer, with a fortune of _ his own, should have been willing to de- vote his whole life to improving the con- dition of the Dyaks was a grand thing. That he should have been able, by per- fectly legitimate means, to do this in the teeth of much official and other opposi- tion; that he should have been able to put down piracy and head-hunting, with their unspeakable accompaniments of 708 misery and cruelty, and to do it all with the hearty good-will of the people under his rule—this was indeed an achieve- ment which might have seemed hardly possible. The present Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Brooke, is a nephew of the first Rajah. He joined his uncle in 1852, when he held the rank of lieutenant in the British navy. For: ten years he played an important part in the arduous work of punishing rebels and establish- ing a sound government. In 1857, when the Chinese insurrection broke out, it was his action that led to the punish- ment of the insurgents and the restora- tion of peace. In 1863, on the retire- ment of the first Rajah, he assumed con- trol of the country, and five years later, on the death of his predecessor, he be- came Rajah of Sarawak. Ever since he became the responsible ruler of the coun- try Sarawak has advanced steadily and made great moral and material progress. To the general public the first Rajah will always appear the romantic, heroic fig- ure; but, while yieiding full measure of praise and admiration to the work of a great man, those who know the country will, I think, agree with me that the heavier burden of working steadily and unwearingly, when the romance of nov- elty had worn off, has been borne by his successor. With talents not less than those of his illustrious uncle, he has car- ried out, in the face of disappointments and the most serious obstacles, a policy of regeneration for which the striking exploits of Sir James Brooke merely paved the way. There are occasional outbreaks among the Dyaks of the interior, and head- hunting still survives where natives think there is a chance of escaping de- tection and consequent punishment. But, happily, these are getting more and more rare and do not affect the prosperity or trade of the country. The natives of Sarawak owe much to the Brookes. The work, nobly begun by Sir James Brooke, has been ably carried on by the present Rajah. To use his 704 own words: “He as founder, and myself as builder, of the State have been one in our policy throughout, from the begin- ning up to the present time; and now shortly I have to hand it to my son, and I hope that his policy may not be far re- moved from that of his predecessors.”’ PECULIAR FASHIONS The Dyak is of rather greater stature than that of the Malay, though he is considerably shorter than the average European. The men are well propor- tioned, but slightly built. Their form suggests activity, speed, and endurance rather than great strength, and these are the qualities most required by dwell- ers in the jungle. Their movements are easy and graceful and their carriage erect. The women are generally smaller than the men. ‘They have neat figures, and are bright, cheerful, and good-look- ing in their youth, but they age very soon. The women wear their hair tong and tied in a knot at the back of the head. Some of the women have beautiful raven black hair of great length. Wavy or curly hair is seldom seen. The teeth are often blackened, as black teeth are considered a sign of beauty. The blackening is done by tak- ing a piece of old cocoanut shell or of certain woods and holding it over a hot fire until a black resinous juice exudes. This juice is collected, and while still warm the teeth are coated with it. The front teeth are also frequently filed to a point, and this gives their face a curious doglike appearance. Sometimes the teeth are filed concavely in front, or else the front teeth are filed down till almost level with the gums. Another curious way of treating the front teeth is to drill a hole in the middle of each tooth and fix in it a brass stud. I was once present when this operation was in progress. The man lay down with a piece of soft wood between his teeth, and the “den- tist’”’ bored a hole in one of his front teeth. The agony the patient endured must have been very great, judging by THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE the look on his face and his occasional bodily contortions. ‘The next thing was to insert the end of a pointed brass wire, which was then filed off, leaving a short piece in the tooth; a small hammer was used to fix this in tightly, and, lastly, a little more filing was done to smooth the surface of the brass stud. I am told the process is so painful that it 1s not often a man can bear to have more than one or two teeth operated on at a time. The Dyaks do not like beards, and much prefer a smooth face. In the whole course of my Dyak experience | have only met with one bearded man. ‘The universal absence of hair upon the face, on the chest, and under the arm-pits might lead one to suppose that it was a natural deficiency. But this is not the case at all, as old men and chronic in- valids, who by reason of age or infirmity have ceased to care about their personal appearance, have often chins covered with a bristly growth. The absence of hair on the face and elsewhere is due to systematic depilation. The looking-glass and tweezers are often seen in the hands of the young men, and they devote every spare moment to the plucking out of stray hairs. Kapu, or quicklime, which is one of the constituents of betel-nut mixture chewed by the Dyaks, is often rubbed into the skin to destroy the vi- tality of the hair follicles. Among some tribes it is the fashion for both men and women to shave the eyebrows and pull out the eyelashes, and this gives their faces a staring, vacant expression. I have often tried to con- vince them of the foolishness of trying to improve upon nature in this way, and pointed out that both eyebrows and eye- lashes are a protection to the eyes from dust and glare. But my remarks have made little impression on them. Among the Dyaks, as elsewhere, fashions die hard. The Sea Dyak language is practically a dialect of Malay, which is spoken more or less over all Polynesiay alt is nes nearly so copious as other Malayan lan- guages, but the Dyaks do not scruple to PAE SEA DVAIKS OF BORNEO 705 DYAK CHILDREN The figure on the right is a boy, the other five are girls. The children are fond of games, and are generally expert swimmers, but they have to make themselves useful, and help their parents very early in life. Co. use Malay words in their conversation when necessary. The Dyak language is particulary weak in expressing abstract ideas. What the mind cannot grasp the tongue is not likely to express. I believe there is only one word—rindu—to ex- press all the different varieties of love. On the other hand, the language is rich in words expressing the common actions of daily life. There are many words to express the different ways of carrying anything; one word for carrying in the hand, another for carrying on the back, and another for carrying on the shoulder. THEIR LONG COMMUNAL HOUSES Among the Dyaks a whole village, consisting of some twenty or thirty fam- Dyak parents are very kind to their children, who, as a rule, return the affection and do as they are told from a desire to please them. “Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,’ by Edwin H. Gomes. From J. B. Lippincott ilies, or even more, live together under one roof. This village house is built on piles made of hard wood, which raise the floor from six to twelve feet above the ground. The ascent is made by a notched trunk or log, which serves as a ladder; one is fixed at each end of the house. The length of this house varies according to the number of families in- habiting it; but as the rooms occupied by the different families are built on the same plan and by a combination of labor, the whole presents a uniform and regular appearance. The roof and outside walls are thatched with the leaves of the mipa palm, which are first made into attap. These are made by doubling the leaves THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 706 ‘09d Hoourddry] “gq “[ ‘sowoy Fy ulMpy Aq ,,{oout0g jo syehq| vag ay} SuowY siva_ UW99}U9AVG,, WOT ‘uodn SULYyeM 10F d18 punoss oY} UO POOM JO sSo] sy, ‘oinzord oy} JO }YSII ay} UO UVaS ST SIOPpL] eSoYy} FO SUG ‘asHoy oY} JO a[PpILu oj} Ul SJappL] V41}X9 UojIZO o1e doy} \PUS Yea ye Seppe] oY} 0} uOT}Ippe ur ‘sed sty} ur sv “SuOT AtOA St osHoy B Udy AA ASOOH HOV TIIA MVAG DONOT V THE SEA DYAKS OF BORNEO 707 DYAK HOUSES Showing the outside open platform, where paddy, etc., is put out to dry. eaves are very low, parts of it are often raised to admit more light into the house. palm trees in the picture are cocoanut palms. J. B. Lippincott Co. Dyaks of Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes, over a stick about six feet long, each leaf overlapping the other, and sewn down with split cane or reeds. These attap are arranged in rows, each attap overlapping the one beneath it, and thus forming a roof which keeps off the rain and sun and lasts for three or four years. The long Dyak village house is built in a straight line, and consists of a long uncovered veranda. The paddy is put on the veranda to be dried by the sun before it is pounded to get rid of its husk and convert it into rice. Here also the clothes and a variety of other things are hung out to dry. The family whetstone and dye vat are kept under the eaves of the roof, and the men sharpen their tools and the women do their dyeing on the veranda. The flooring of this part of Where the The From “Seventeen Years Among the Sea the house is generally made of iron- wood, so as to stand exposure to the weather. Next to the uncovered veranda comes the covered veranda, or ruai. This also stretches the whole length of the house, and the floor is made of bamboo, split into laths and tied down with rattan or cane. This ruai, or public hall, is generally about twenty feet wide, and as it stretches the whole length of the house without any partition, it is a cool and pleasant place, and is much frequented by men and women for conversation and indoor pursuits. Here the women often do their work—the weaving of cloth or the plaiting of mats. Here, too, the men chop up the firewood, or even make boats, if not of too great a size. This 708 THB, NATIONAL, GHhOGR AP EIC vENG AZINE, DYAK VILLAGE HOUSE IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION This picture shows the arrangement of pillars and rafters of a Dyak house. The floor nearest the earth is divided into the long, open veranda and the rooms in which the different families live. Above this is the loft, where the paddy is stored away. Part of the roof in the picture has been covered with palm-leaf thatch. DRYING PADDY Before it is possible to rid the paddy of its husk and convert it into rice, it has to be dried in the sun. Here a woman is seen spreading out the paddy on a mat with her hands. She is on the outside veranda of the Dyak house (tanju). The long pole over her head is used by her to drive away the fowls and birds who may come to eat the paddy put out to dry. Photos from “Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes. J. B. Lippincott Co. A HUSKING MILL (KISAR) After the paddy is dried and before it is pounded, it is generally passed through a husking mill made in two parts—the lower half having a stem in the middle which fits into the upper part, which is hollow. The paddy is put into a cavity in the upper half, and a man or woman seizes the handles and works the upper half to the right and left alternately. The paddy drips through on to the mat on which this husking mill is placed. THE SEA DYAKS OF BORNEO a TOY A a THE TYPICAL RICE-HULLER OF BORNEO It is made of extremely hard wood. The part with the handle fits down over the other piece. It is grooved on the inside, and the two pieces fit in together making an excellent huller. Photo from B. F. West. long ruat is a public place open to all comers and used as a road by travelers, who climb up the ladder at one end, walk through the whole length of the house, and go down the ladde- at the other end. The floor is carpeted with thick and heavy mats, made of cane in- terlaced with narrow strips of beaten bark. Over these are spread other mats of finer texture for visitors to sit upon. The length of this covered veranda depends upon the number of families liv- ing in the house, and these range from three or four to forty or fifty. Each family has its own portion of this ruai, and in each there is a small fireplace, which consists of a slab of stone, at which the men warm themselves when they get up, as they usually do, in the chill of the early morning before the sun has risen. Over this fireplace hangs the most valuable ornament in the eyes of the Dyak, the bunch of human heads. These are the heads obtained when on the war- path by various members of the family— dead and living—and are handed down from father to son as the most precious heirlooms—more precious, indeed, than the ancient jars which the Dyaks prize so highly. The posts in this public covered ve- 710 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE DYAK GIRLS POUNDING RICE After the paddy has been passed through the husking mill it is pounded out in wooden mortars. mortar to kick back any grains of paddy that may be likely to fall out. Here are two girls at work. Each has her right foot in the upper part of the From “Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes. J. B. Lippincott Co. randa are often adorned with the horns of deer and the tusks of wild boars— trophies of the chase. The empty sheaths of swords are suspended on these horns or from wooden hooks, while the naked blades are placed in racks overhead. On one side of this long public hall is a row of doors. Each of these leads into a separate room, or bilik, which is occu- pied by a family. The doors open out- wards, and each is closed by means of a heavy weight secured to a thong fastened to the inside. If the room be unusually large, it may have two doors for the sake of convenience. This room serves several purposes. It serves aS a kitchen, and in one corner there is a fireplace where the food is cooked. This fireplace is set against the wall of the veranda and resembles an open cupboard. ‘The lowest shelf rests on the floor, and is boarded all round and filled with clay. This forms the fire- place, and is furnished with a few stones upon which the pots are set for cooking. The shelf immediately above the fire- place is set apart for smoking fish. The shelves above are filled with firewood, which is thoroughly dried by the smoke and ready for use. As the smoke from the wood fire 1s not conducted through the roof by any kind of chimney, it spreads itself through the loft and blackens the beams and rafters of the roof. This room also serves as a dining- room. When the food is cooked, mats are spread here, and the inmates squat on the floor to eat their meal. There is no furniture, the floor serving the double purpose of table and chairs. This bilik also serves as a bedroom. At night the mats for sleeping on are spread out here and the mosquito cur- tains hun: up. There is no window to let in the air and light, but a portion of the roof is so constructed that it can be raised a foot or two and kept open by means of a stick. Round the three sides of this room are ranged the treasured valuables of the Dyaks—old jars, some of which are of great value, and brass gongs, and guns. Their cups and plates are hung up in rows flat against the walls. The flooring DEP SAS DYAKS OF BORNEO ie: DYAK GIRL, SPINNING She is seated on a mat, in a characteristic attitude, and 1s making yarn out of the cotton, using a primitive spinning-wheel. wearer can hardly bend the body. Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes. is the same as that of the veranda, and is made of split palm or bamboo tied down with cane. The floor is swept after a fashion, the refuse falling through the flooring to the ground underneath. But the room is stuffy and not such a pleasant place as the open veranda. The pigs and poultry occupy the waste space under the house. From the bilik there is a ladder which leads to an upper room, or loft (sadaw), where they keep their tools and store their paddy. If the family be a large one, the young unmarried girls sleep in this loft, the boys and young men sleep- ing outside in the veranda. CATCHING FISH WITH POISON The Dyaks have many varieties of fish-traps, which they set in the streams The corset must be very uncomfortable, as the From “Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of J. B. Lippincott Co. and rivers. Most of these are made of split bamboo. They also have nets of various kinds; the most popular is the jala, or circular casting-net, loaded with leaden or iron weights in the circumference, and with a spread sometimes of 20 feet. Great skill is shown by the Dyak in throwing this net over a shoal of fish which he has sighted. He casts the net in such a manner that all the outer edge touches the water almost simultaneously. The weights cause it to sink and close to- gether, encompassing the fish, and the net is drawn up by a rope attached to its center, the other end of which is tied to the fisherman’s left wrist. The thrower of this net often stands on the bow of a small canoe, and shows great skill in balancing himself. The jala is used both ~T ary bo THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE DYAKS MAKING A DAM FOR TUBA-FISHING The poison from the tuba root is put in the water some distance up river, and the Dyaks follow it as it drifts, and spear and net the poisoned fish. the flesh of the fish, which can be cooked and eaten. These come to this dam, in which there is an opening leading to an enclosure; the poison. The tuba does not seem to affect Many fish swim down river to escape in this the fish congregate and are afterwards captured. From ‘‘Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo,” by Edwin H. Gomes. in fresh and salt water, and can be thrown either from the bank of a river or by a man wading into the sea. But the most favorite mode of fishing among the Dyaks is with the tuba root (Cocculus indicus). Sometimes this is done on a small scale in some little stream. Sometimes, however, the people of several Dyak houses arrange to have a tuba-fishing. ‘The men, women, and children of these houses, accompanied by their friends, go to some river which has been previously decided upon. A fence made by planting stakes closely together is erected from bank to bank. In the middle of this there is an opening lead- ing into a square enclosure made in the same fashion, into which the fish enter J. B. Lippincott Co. when trying to escape from the tuba into fresh water. The canoes then proceed several hours’ journey up the river, until they get to some place decided on before- hand. Here they stop for the night in small booths erected on the banks of the river. The small boats are cleared of everything in them, so as to be ready for use the next day. All the people bring with them fishing- spears and hand-nets. The spears are of various kinds; some have only one barbed point, while others have two or three. The shaft of the spear is made of a straight piece of bamboo about six feet long. ‘The spear is so made that when a fish is speared the head of the weapon comes out of the socket in the Hts Sa DNeONK