fi) THE HEIGHT OF BEN LOMOND, 



■R.S. TAS. 



At Christmas, 1911, a party consisting of Messrs. W. F. 

 D. Butler, J. A. Johnson, A. F. Weber, and two of the 

 writers (L. F. Giblin and E. L. Piesse) spent several days 

 at Ben Lomond. Leaving Hobart by the morning train, 

 the party was met at Avoca station by Mr. C. E. Foster, 

 who made all arrangements for the ascent of the mountain 

 and enabled the party to reach before dark the old Ben 

 Lomond Hotel, 11 miles from Avoca, and about 2400 feeb 

 above sea-level. The " Hotel," it should be mentioned, 

 is untenanted, and travellers will be wise to make their 

 own camp. Next morning, Mr. Foster's horses helped 

 the party to the Upper Camping Ground, about 3700 feet, 

 and from there the loads were carried to the plateau. 

 Arrived at the moor, the party went southwards to the 

 Stacks Bluff, on which is the trigonometrical station. 

 There a base rather more than a quarter of a mile long was 

 measured, and with a 5 -inch Everest theodolite angles 

 were taken to ascertain the distance and elevation of Legge 

 Peak. Then the party went on to Youl's Lake, where a 

 camp was made. The rcsu'ts of the day's observations 

 were computed, and the height of Legge Peak was found 

 to be 5158 feet. 



As the object of the expedition seemed to be attained, 

 the next day, again a fine one, was spent in a visit to 

 Legge Peak instead of in making a check survey. This 

 was attempted on the following day, but the weather had 

 iDroken and it was impossible to do more than measure a 

 second base on the moor south of the Nile gorge, and 

 move camp to a more sheltered spot, a little flat about 

 400 feet above the LTpper Camping Ground and at the 

 foot of the talus slope from Wilmot Bluff. Three of 

 the party had to return to Hobart next day, but Messrs. 

 Giblin and Piesse remained, and were able to take the 

 required angles at the second base. Satisfied with these, 

 they returned to the flat, and moved camp to the old 

 Hotel, in preparation for an easy stage next day into 

 Avoca . 



But when the day's observations were examined that 

 night at the camp fire, it was found that they did not 

 confirm the first day's work at the Stacks Bluff. The 

 observations from the two ends of the Nile gorge base 

 made Legge Peak, from one end of the base, 13 feet 

 lower than the trigonometrical station, and from the other 

 end 6 feet. The apparent agreement of these two results 



