104 
NATURE 
[ DECEMBER 3, 1896 
written, because Mr. Whymper, as we know from his 
larger books on the Alps and the Andes, can describe as 
well as he can depict. It is impossible to criticise, when 
the author stands almost alone in his thorough know- 
ledge of the district. There are illustrations—one of which 
(Fig. 2) we are perniitted to reproduce—plans, and an 
excellent map of the snowy range. So much is given 
in a short compass, that it seems greedy to ask for more ; 
but we think that, notwithstanding the full table of eon- 
tents, an index would be an improvement, and that a few 
paragraphs on the geology and natural history of the 
range might be added with advantage. 
Mr. FitzGerald’s book, as he states, is “a simple 
record of adventure,” but he adds very much to our 
knowledge of the most interesting districts of the New 
descend more than once to 1200 feet, the Fox glacier actu- 
ally ending about 700 feet above the sea. Yet the mean 
temperature in the latitude of Mount Cook is about 52”. 
As the temperature of the Swiss lowland, at an elevation 
of some 1300 feet, is about 47°, the difference, so far as 
this cause goes, is not large, and the greater extension 
of the snow region and descent of the glaciers must be 
partly due to the heavier rain (or snow) fall. Probably 
this is something like 150 inches on the higher parts of 
the western slopes, or nearly double of what it is at 
corresponding positions in the Alps. 
The mountaineer finds the peaks and glaciers of New 
Zealand in many respects more difficult than those of 
the “playground of Europe.” They are not easily 
reached, for at present no good roads have been made 
in the higher valleys ; the weather is most unfavourable, 
Fic. 3.—Fuji-san, with cloud cap, from the South-west. 
Zealand Alps, the topography of which is made clear 
by his excellent map, founded on the latest Govern- 
ment Survey. The Alps of the Southern Island corre- 
spond in structure more nearly with the Pyrenees than 
with their European namesakes—that is, they are a 
single range rather than a chain consisting of a series of 
great parallel folds. Though the highest peak, Aorangi 
or Mount Cook, introduced to the notice of English 
climbers by the Rev. W. S. Green, attains an elevation 
of 12,349 feet, not many exceed 10,000 feet. The snow- 
line, however, is quite 2000 feet lower than it is in 
Switzerland, and the glaciers descend much nearer to 
the sea-level. On the eastern side the great Tasman 
glacier comes down to about 2350 feet ; while on the 
western side, where the valleys are considerably steeper, 
for the watershed is much nearer that coast, the glaciers 
NO. 1414, VOL. 55] 
often persistently bad, always liable to sudden change ; 
there is one mountain inn in the whole region ; there are 
no chalets, practically no guides or porters. Thus the 
traveller must bring a guide from Europe, must be 
prepared to bivouac—under what discomfort readers of 
Mr. FitzGerald’s book will learn—on the mountain side, 
and to carry his own “swag.” ‘“‘ Expensive, laborious, and 
often disappointing,” seems to be the motto of a tour in 
the high Alps of New Zealand. The climber also has 
to face considerable difficulties, and even dangers : cer- 
tainly more on the average than among peaks of corre- 
sponding elevation in Switzerland. The rock, in the 
parts explored by Mr. FitzGerald, is bad slate or slabby 
greywacke, very incoherent and untrustworthy. He had 
many narrow escapes, and near the summit of one peak 
—Mount Sefton—was only saved from a fatal fall by the 
