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29(0) MERRILL AND MERRITT. 
tions were at hand, and no opportunity was had at the time of the trip 
to make an ascent of the mountain. 
The highest peak, then, escaped careful observation until January. 
1907, when it was ascended by Mr. Charles Benson, a surveyor in the 
Bureau of Public Lands. Mr. Benson had charge of the execution of 
free patent surveys and a river and trail survey in the Mountain Province 
during the years 1906, 1907, and 1908, and in January, 1907, made the 
first ascent of Mount Pulog of which we have any record. Regarding 
this trip, the following is quoted from Mr. Benson’s report to Capt. 
Charles H. Sleeper, Director of Lands: 
“On the 5th of January, 1907, we ascended Mount Pulog, 9,500 feet, and passed 
a night on its summit, the next morning having the delight and surprise of seeing 
over half an inch of ice on the pools of water just below the peak.” 
Mr. Benson’s party erected a large tripod and flag on the highest peak, 
to serve as a triangulation station, and later observations on this point 
determined the altitude of the peak as 2,880 m (9,480 feet), or somewhat 
over 200 m higher than any other point in the region. 
In Mr. Benson’s survey, distances were determined by the stadia 
method. Elevations were carried along the traverse lines by vertical 
angles. Elevations of prominent points were determined by vertical 
angles and triangulation methods from the stations of the traverse lines. 
The Agno River line was carried into the Mancayan-Suyoe mining region, 
and checked within 4 m in elevation with the line brought in from Candon 
by Mr. Goodman, formerly of the division of mines, Bureau of Science. 
There appears therefore, to be little doubt but that Mount Pulog is 
the highest peak not only in the region, but in Luzon, judging from 
Mr. Benson’s estimates, as well as from observations made by the Forestry 
Bureau party, and noted later. To Mr. Benson is dye the credit of 
making this fact known to geographers and to science in general. The 
first definite published information regarding the mountain is that 
contained in a short account of Mr. Benson’s trip, written by Dr. M. L. 
Miller, entitled “The Ascent of Mount Pulog.” ? 
Whether or not there had been any previous ascent of Mount Pulog 
by white men, can not, of course, positively be stated, but careful inquiries 
made by the Forestry Bureau party of a number of natives living in 
the vicinity, elicited only the information that to their knowledge no white 
men, other than Mr. Benson and his party, had ever previously attempted 
to climb the mountain. According to reports of some of these Igorots, 
a native officer of the Philippine Constabulary had once crossed the main 
ridge of the Pulog range very close, if not quite to the summit of the 
highest peak, some years previously while searching for some offenders. 
There is a well-defined and apparently considerably traveled trail leading 
*This Journal 3 (1908) Gen. Sei. 99, 100. 
