1 94 MERRILL. 



of soil and vegetation, where extensive portions of tlic niain ridge had 

 slid into the valley. 'JMie land slides, some of them of recent origin, 

 present a hare, rocky face, covered only in places with a scant growth of 

 •-■rass. Iici'haccous }ilants and small hushes. We secured a magnificent, 

 view of ilalcon, which was Ji miles distant across a deep valley, by 

 cutting out a few trees on the stee]) slopes helow our cam]), hut the peak 

 was verv rarelv visible because of the prevailing fog and rain. Occasio- 

 tinllv at intervals of cessation in the severe st(n-m which now came on, 

 the wind would drive the fog away. Judging from these glimpses it 

 became verv evident to lis that from our ])resent jxjsition the only route 

 leading to the latter was hy way of the ridge on which we were. On 

 .\ovend)er IS onr carriers came in from Subaan, having made the trip 

 from the coast in three and one-balF days. Some were retained for 

 work about the camp, some were sent back to the base camp at the junc- 

 tion of the liaco and Alag llivers to remain there nntil further orders, 

 while others were returned to Subaan to bring in food to supply tin' 

 party on the trip hack to the coast. • The ones whom we retained at 

 ("amp Xumber Six suffered much from the cold and dampness, as also 

 did the Americans in the party. 



Realizing that our food supply was limited and that, because of the 

 present storm, the Alag would he unfordable and accordingly no further 

 supplies could he brought in, it was deemed unwise to remain in camp 

 hoping for a change in weather, hence, on the morning of N^ovemher li), 

 .Mr. Hutchinson and T proceeded l)y way of the ridge to an altitude 

 of '1.(100 feet where previously we had cleared a trail. We continued 

 it up the stee]) slo])e, attaining the nuiin ridge at an altitude of 7,800 

 feet; the one leading to Ilalcon Peak running from the east to the 

 west at about right angles to our ridge trail. The montane brush of 

 the upper ridges became reduced to an open heath commeiu-ing at the 

 crest line and extending for some distance down the southeiMi slo|)e. the 

 ground coMM- consisting of tufte(| grasses, with only occasionally scat- 

 tered stunted bushes and shi'ubs, a most grateful change fi-om the 

 dense, mossy ridge thickets through which previously we had been obligeil 

 to cut trails. However, these heath lands were limited in extent and so 

 W(( ])assed rapidiv through them and found the succeeding ridge tliit-ki'ts 

 to be very much more dense than those farther down. Progress through 

 them was literallv foot by b)ot and then only by constaid use of bolo. 

 The heavv rain which had set in a few days before, still continued with- 

 out cessation, adding to our discomloi't, the tenipei'af ui'e being constantly 

 below IT) ('. Owing to the low tempei-at ure. Ihe high wind and the con- 

 JiiiiDil rain, our position was exceedingly iincom foi'lable and at times 

 of especially heavv downpoiii's the warudh of our bodies did not sutlice 

 to keep the tem])erature of our wej clollics up to a degree of condort, 

 the occassional, heavv bursts of cold rain cooling the body to such an 



