324 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIII. No. 325 



edge can be readily and clearly communicated, may indeed be 

 indispensable, and this may be ascertained by examination. But 

 to judge of the general ability of a candidate, of his tidelity, his 

 adaptation to a given position, the probability of his growth, his skill 

 as a " re-searcher," his originality of mind, his perseverance, other 

 tests must be employed than those of an examination-paper. Good 

 judgment, based upon a knowledge of human nature, must be 

 called in. 



The advantage of allowing teachers to be the examiners of their 

 classes is obvious : they know what has been taught, and how, and 

 they can say what the scholar ought to remember. At the same time, 

 the advantage of calling in examiners who have not taught the class 

 is also obvious. Pupils are thus reminded that they are expected 

 to know a subject, not a certain part of a text-book. For example : 

 they are to know how to read Cicero, and not to present six ora- 

 tions ; they are to read German books, not to say that they have 

 read " Marie Stuart ; " they are to know their algebra, their physics, 

 their chemistry, botany, and so on. Probably for the best peda- 

 gogical discipline, the board of examiners should be made up partly 

 of the actual teachers of a class, partly of competent, sensible out- 

 siders. 



While there is reason to believe that the lower schools of the 

 country suffer from too many or too poor examinations, I doubt 

 whether the colleges rely too much upon their examinations. Some 

 instructors have but vague ideas of the purpose of examinations, and 

 consequently may employ imperfect methods of examining. Ex- 

 aminers are as likely to be at fault as examinations. 



It would surely be well for every board of examiners to consider 

 what object they have in view ; e.g., is the object to ascertain 

 whether the class as a whole has been well taught .' The authori- 

 ties of a school or college sometimes require this information, and 

 of course an examiner who is not the teacher must be enlisted. Is 

 the object to select those who are most deserving of an honor or 

 prize.' If so, sharp test-questions are requisite. Is it to ascertain 

 whether a scholar is capable of going forward with a proposed 

 course of study ? If so, a fair, general paper, supplemented if pos- 

 sible by oral questioning, is desirable. Is it to grade a class .' 

 Then there should be a paper which every one ought to be able to 

 answer, so as to pass, but with riders, so that the superior scholars 

 may show their attainments, and win the rank which is their due. 

 The highest talents will thus be drawn out, while inferior ability 

 will not be discouraged. 



But the subject is quite too complex for a brief discussion, and I 

 fear that I have already filled the space that you offer me. 



ASCENT OF THE KILIMA NDJARO. 



Mr Otto F. Ehlers made an interesting ascent of the Kilima 

 Ndjaro in company with Dr. Abbott, an American naturalist who 

 had been collecting for upwards of a year in the country round 

 Tavita. The " Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society " 

 gives the following sketch of this ascent : The travellers left Ma- 

 rangu with a party of thirty men. The first camp was pitched at 

 the foot of a small crater almost due south of the eastern peak, 

 Kimawenzi, at an altitude of about 9,800 feet. On the following 

 day Herr Ehlers made an excursion to Kimawenzi, and reached a 

 height of about 16,400 feet; any further ascent of this remarkable 

 jagged mountain seemed to him impossible. The same day the 

 travellers saw three specimens of a new species of antelope. The 

 two following days were spent in collecting plants and searching 

 for a suitable camping-place, where the majority of native followers 

 might remain, while the travellers proceeded up the mountain. A 

 spot was chosen to the west of their last camping-ground, at an 

 altitude of about 10.500 feet. From here the two travellers started 

 with five men, and provisions for four days, taking a northerly 

 direction up the saddle between Kibo and Kimawenzi. After some 

 hours' marching, they discovered that they had made the same 

 mistake Dr. Meyer had in 1887, and were proceeding in a direct 

 line to the summit of the lower eastern peak. Being at this mo- 

 ment overtaken by a snow-storm, they pitched their camp at an 

 altitude of about 15,500 feet. On the following morning, which 

 broke bright and clear, they set out in a westerly direction over the 



newly fallen snow, proceeding along the northern edge of the line 

 of lava hills mentioned by Dr. Meyer, whose route lay along their 

 southern side. After much toilsome marching, snow having com- 

 menced to fall again, the natives were compelled to return, leaving 

 the two travellers to push on to their last camping-ground (Nov. 

 17). The morning of the 18th was exceptionally clear, and an 

 early start was made over the hard-frozen snow. At seven o'clock 

 they found themselves at an altitude of 16,200 feet, about the mid- 

 dle of the eastern side of the summit. Instead of attempting to 

 ascend from this side, as Dr. Meyer had done, they proceeded in a 

 north-westerly direction over lava-streams and rocky bowlders to- 

 the northern side of Kibo. Unfortunately, at this point Dr. Abbott 

 completely broke down, and Herr Ehlers pushed on alone. Keep- 

 ing to the east of a mighty lava- stream, he pushed his way over 

 sand, ashes, and rubble, covered with the freshly fallen snow, and 

 after repeated halts, but without suffering at all from the rarity of 



wmmim 



SKETCH MAP 



Kilima Ndjaro 



^:iJBO 



fe 



'^^ / Ml' 



A^ 



2ZL 



/jMiAks^^^^^^'^^^^ 



Pv^Txl 



the atmosphere, he arrived at 10 o'clock at the ice-wall which com- 

 pletely encircles the actual summit, and the scaling of which at 

 this point was impossible. He consequently proceeded along this 

 wall of ice for some distance, in the hope of finding a point at 

 which it could be surmounted, but after a time was compelled to 

 retrace his steps, owing to a steep fall in the ground. Descending 

 the summit a little, he contrived, by much toilsome climbing, to 

 get round to the north-east side of the summit ; and here, from a 

 point of some little elevation, he obtained a comparatively wide 

 view over the summit. He could discover nothing in the form of a 

 crater : the mass of snow and ice lay before him in a succession of 

 gentle undulations. This is somewhat remarkable, in view of 

 Dr. Meyer's account of the crater of the summit. He does not 

 give the exact height attained, as he prefers to wait until the in- 

 struments used have been tested, but states that it exceeds 19,600 

 feet. The descent was made by a somewhat different route, in a 

 direct course to the south-east. At an altitude of 16,400 feet the 

 track of an elephant was observed in the snow, also those of buffa- 

 loes and antelopes. Here also he found the last traces of vegeta- 

 tion. The return to Marangu occupied three days. 



