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Reviews—The Life of Horace Benedict de Sausswre. 331 
appears to offer a further field of usefulness. For some years past 
Southern Rhodesia and New Caledonia have been the largest 
producers, but war conditions led to a reversion by the Central 
Powers to old sources of supply in Asia Minor, while enormous 
development took place in the low-grade ores of the United States. 
This monograph contains a very complete account of the geological 
occurrence and exploitation of chromite, the only practicable ore of 
the metal, together with a summary of its technical treatment and 
uses. The employment of chromite as a refractory seems likely to 
extend in the future. The work follows the general plan of this now 
well-known series and includes useful tables and a bibliography. 
Tue Lire or Horace Benepict pE Saussure. By Dovueras W. 
FRESsHFIELD, D.C.L., with the collaboration of Henry F. 
MontaenieR. London: EH. Arnold, 1920. 
REALLY good life of De Saussure in English has long been 
desired, and no one so competent as Dr. Freshfield could be 
found to undertake it. He began Alpine travel with his parents 
as a boy of 14, and after graduating at Oxford, visited Syria 
and Armenia, nearly reaching the summit of Ararat; climbed 
Kasbek and a peak of Elbruz; went over high passes and ascended 
peaks in the Caucasus ; took a high-level route round Kanchenjunga ; 
has visited mountain lands in Uganda and elsewhere, and can describe 
them admirably, as his many books show; and recently, through 
Mr. Montagnier, he has obtained access to many letters by De Saussure 
which were previously unknown. He has in short given us 
a singularly interesting book on a great pioneer in Alpine travel, 
and a man in other respects remarkable. De Saussure was born in 
1740, a citizen of Geneva, a member of a rather wealthy family, 
and an exceptionally able man. Educated at the College and 
University of his native city, he paid his first visit to Chamonix in 
1760, the glaciers of which, though Mont Blanc is in full view, may 
be said to have been discovered nineteen years earlier by Pococke 
and Windham, was appointed Professor of Physics and Metaphysics 
in 1763, discharged these rather opposite tasks with success ; 
married two year later a wife who added much to his happiness and 
property, and in 1768 began a two years’ journey in France, Holland, 
and. Britain, during which he made many friends and was hospitably 
entertained by such men as Sir Joseph Banks and Lord Palmerston, 
father of the one better known; visited Stamford and Burghley, 
York, Knaresborough, Deingle_ aaa he went down a coal-mine, 
Wynnstay, Wentworth Castle, Chatsworth, Manchester, caverns and 
mines in Derbyshire, and even travelled to Cornwall to inspect its 
mines, recrossing the Channel in the beginning of 1769. He had 
also visited the two Universities, met numerous men of eminence, 
and been welcomed everywhere. 
But his records of his journeys, both at home and abroad, are 
unfortunately incomplete. His last Alpine journey was in 1792, 
