>70 



NATURE 



[January 20, 192 1 



Notes. 



The Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine 

 Club for some time have been planning an expedition 

 to scale Mount Everest. The political obstacle which 

 stood in the way has now, fortunatelv,' been removed 

 by the permission granted by the Tibetan Government, 

 on representation by the Government of India, for 

 the expedition to pass through Tibet. Mount Everest, 

 which lies on the borders of Tibet and Nepal, prob- 

 ably within the latter State, has an altitude of 

 29,142 ft. The surrounding mountainous country has 

 never been explored, and, in consequence, much pre- 

 liminary work is required before the actual ascent 

 begins. In the Geographical Journal for January 

 Brig.-Gen. the Hon. C. G. Bruce discusses the lines 

 of approach and the probability of the feat being 

 accomplished. The route proposed by Gen. Bruce is 

 from Darjceling through Sikkim to Kampa Dzong 

 in Tibet, and then eastward for about 120 miles by 

 the Taya Sampo Valley, through the Tingri Maidan, 

 to the northern slopes of Mount Everest. This route 

 he believes would enable a base to be established 

 both as high as, and as near as possible to, Everest 

 itself. It might be possible to arrange for supplies to 

 be sent through Nepal up the .\run River or by other 

 routes. This year an expedition is to make a pre- 

 liminary reconnaissance of the ground, and in 1922 

 the actual attempt will follow. So far the highest 

 altitude reached in mountain-climbing is 24_,6oo ft., 

 attained by the Duke of the Abruzzi's party on Mount 

 <iodwin-.\usten in 1909. Bad weather prevented a 

 higher altitude being gained. Dr. Longstaff reached 

 24,000 ft. on Guria Mandhata in 1905. In the ascent 

 of Mount Everest an attempt will be made to push 

 a camp to at least 25,000 ft., and, by use of ample 

 porterage and the best of food, to have the climbing 

 party in perfect fitness for the last effort. 



An article in the Pioneer Mail of November 19 last 

 " from a correspondent in Mesopotamia " throws 

 doubt on the general optimistic estimates of the results 

 that may be achieved there by irrigation. The differ- 

 ence between the former widespread fertility of the 

 country and its recent barrenness is usually attributed 

 to political influences ; but the author considers that 

 it is due to changes in the soil and in climatic condi- 

 tions, and not to deterioration of the population. He 

 explains the recession of the sea for 100 miles from 

 Ur of the Chaldees by an upheaval which has so 

 lowered the gradient that the irrigation of that area 

 must prove unusually difficult. There appears, how- 

 ever, to be no trustworthy evidence of essential 

 climatic change, and the retreat of the sea is probably 

 due to silting. The arguments based on possible 

 changes in the soil appear more weighty ; the author 

 holds that the good soil is limited to narrow strips 

 beside the rivers, and that most of the land "may 

 easily prove to be irreclaimable," as " a gigantic sub- 

 soil .sea charged with salts " has slowly collected under 

 the plains. He considers this waterlogging incurable 

 by simple drainage as in India, owing to the lack of 

 adequate slope. The conditions described in the 

 NO. 2673, VOL. 106] 



article indicate that irrigation in Mesopotamia is a far 

 more difficult undertaking than in India. 



Sir Oi.ivKK Loikjf.'s suggestions for the designation 

 of the unit of positive electricity (Nati-ke, December 9, 

 p. 467), and Prof. Soddy's rejection of them, provide 

 the theme for a humorous ode in Punch of January 12. 

 The concluding lines are as follows : 



" And then the bellicose and caustic Soddy, 

 Who treats Sir Oliver as if he were Poor Pilh- 



coddy. 

 Or any ordinary hoddy-doddv. 

 Winds up with a sardonic observation 

 Upon the modern ' hydrophobic school. 

 With its inveterate aversion to anything wet;' 

 -Showing that by a curious transmigration 

 The hate which theologians as a rule 

 Monopolised may now be met 

 In the most learned and exalted set 

 Of those whose scientific zeal and pietv 

 Form the chief glory of the Roy'l .Society." 



It is typical of our ever-welcome contemporary to 

 take a broad survey of individual and national charac- 

 teristics, and to present them with knowledge as well 

 as wit. We admire one and enjoy the other, and are 

 flattered that correspondence in our pages should have 

 provoked such sprightly verse. W'e trust, however, 

 that the transference of the odium theologicum to 

 scientific controversy will remain a fancy, even 

 though Mr. Punch may thereby lose opportunities for 

 his inimitable banter. 



.\ SOCIETY for scientific research into psychic pheno- 

 mena has been formed in Glasgow, with Mr. .\. J. 

 Balfour as president. Other officers are as follows : — 

 Vice-Presidents: Prof. W. Macneile Dixon, Sir 

 George Beilby, Dr. A. K. Chalmers, the Duchess of 

 Hamilton, Miss Janie Allan, Mr. J. Arthur Findlay, 

 Mr. Peter Fyfe, Prof. R. Latta, the Rev. John 

 Lamond, Dr. Neil Munro, Dr. L. R. Oswald, Lord 

 Sands, Prof. W. B. Stevenson, and Dr. Henry J. 

 Watt. Chairman of Council : Prof. W. Nacneile 

 Dixon. Vice-Chairman: Mr. J. Arthur Findlay. 

 Hon. Librarian: Dr. J. Knight. Hon. Secretary: 

 Miss Margaret H. Irwin, 58 Renfield Street, Glasgow. 



The short general account of the annual meeting 

 of the Headmasters' .Association published in 

 last week's issue of N.ature ascribed to Dr. 

 Mary Bell the remark that " there is no sin in 

 a child helping itself to the contents of the mother's 

 purse in order to buy presents for a teacher." Dr. 

 Bell writes to say that these words do not represent 

 exactly what she said. The meaning she intended to 

 convey was that "the impulse to gratify a self- 

 regarding instinct by gaining recognition by giving 

 flowers to a teacher might be so powerful as to out- 

 weigh any idea of stealing on the part of the child. 

 The stealing is wrong, but the thing to tackle is the 

 desire to gain recognition, or whatever it was that led 

 to the giving of the flowers, without the wherewithal 

 to do so." 



A GENERAL meeting of the Association of Economic 

 Biologists will be held at 2.30 p.m. on Friday, 

 January 28, in the botanical lecture theatre of the 



