however, had not driven the people from the most
favoured places, for new temples and houses had
sprung up in all directions, the old buildings being left
where they were, to gradually decay. Many hot
ferruginous springs bubbled from the mountains on
the left, but no baths had been made here, as in the
valley of the Chi Chu. Higher up the hills, partridges
swarmed; I could never have imagined that so many
birds existed in one place.
Our camp was pitched by some shepherds’ huts,
immediately below the head of the nullah, 2000 feet
above the river and full in the teeth of the bitter
wind. So unpleasant was this spot that we departed
the following morning as early as possible, crossing the
Kura La (17,900 feet) in deep snow. No sooner was
the summit reached than we realised that, if a conieal
hill close by was climbed, we were certain to obtain
a fine view of Mount Everest, and from a direction
never before seen by Europeans.
The morning was cold, crisp and clear, so, turning
our backs on the ground from which the mightiest
mountain in the world uprose, we climbed steadily
until the crest of our observatory hill was reached;
and well did it repay us, for to the south, and distant
about fifty miles, though to all appearance much nearer
on account of the rarefied atmosphere, lay the wildest
part of the Himalayas fully exposed to view.
Towering up thousands of feet, a glittering pinnacle
of snow, rose Everest, a giant amongst pigmies, and
remarkable not only on account of its height, but for
its perfect form. No other peaks lie near or threaten
its supremacy. From its foot a rolling mass of hills
stretch away in all directions, to the north dropping to
the Dingri Plain, 15,000 feet below. To the east and
west, but nowhere in its immediate vicinity, rise other
great mountains of rock and snow, each beautiful in
itself, but in no other way comparing with the famous
peak in solemn grandeur. It is difficult to give an idea
of its stupendous height, its dazzling whiteness and
overpowering size, for there is nothing in the world to
compare it with. Its northern face had the appearance
of a sheer precipice, but the distance was too great
to decide upon this with certainty.
Mount Everest has only been known to the
civilised world for rather over half a century, and
its discovery was but little more than an accident; for
from nowhere in India is the great mountain visible
except as a peak just showing up over the shoulders
of other and nearer ranges.
The method adopted of measuring the heights
of the Himalayan range was that of observing from
three or more points in the plains to every prominent
snow-peak visible, and working out the results at
leisure. Great was the excitement one day, when a
computer working at these observations obtained a
height surpassing that of all previously known peaks.
“Mount Everest” was the name given to this, the
highest known point of the world’s surface, and 29,002
feet above sea-level. It was called after a famous
Surveyor-General of India, as it was unknown and
unnamed by the natives of India. This nomenclature
dissatisfied many, and from time to time attempts have
been made to change it, amongst others to Chomo
Ranker and Gori Shanker, but without success.
For the purpose of finally settling the question,
Captain Wood was sent to Katmandu in 1903, and
there found that to the Nepalese the mountain was
nameless. The Tibetans questioned by us replied to
the same effect, and so now and for ever it will be
known as Mount Everest. As a result of these in