MOUNT EVEREST 213 



them, we entertain towards them a too excessive 

 feeling of awe. We are almost afraid of them. We 

 have a secret fear that they, the material, are 

 dominating us, the spiritual. But as soon as we 

 have stood on their summit we feel that we dominate 

 them — that we, the spiritual, have ascendancy over 

 them, the material. And if man stands on Earth's 

 highest summit he will have an increased pride and 

 confidence in himself in his struggle for ascendancy 

 over matter. This is the incalculable good which 

 the ascent of Mount Everest will confer. 



We who have lived among the peoples of the 

 Himalaya are better able than most to appreciate 

 how great this good is. We have seen how tame 

 and meagre is their spirit in comparison with the 

 spirit of, for example, the Swiss, or French, or 

 Italian inhabitants of the Alps ; and in comparison 

 with what men's spirit ought to be. They have 

 many admirable qualities, but they are fearful and 

 unenterprising. Contact with them brings home to 

 us what a spirit of daring and high adventure means 

 to a people. And we are impressed with the 

 necessity of taking every step possible to create, 

 sustain, and strengthen this spirit in a people and in 

 the human race generally. The ascent of Mount 

 Everest, we believe, will be a big step in that 

 direction. 



The actual climbing of this mountain this 

 Society will leave in the hands of the Alpine Club, 

 who have special experience in mountain climbing. 

 But the reconnaissance and mapping of the moun- 

 tain and its neighbourhood will fitly remain with us. 



And here we reach the point where the principles 



16 



