﻿THE ASCENT OF MOUNT HALCON. 187 



21, believing that they were on a ridge leading- directly up the moun- 

 tain, they continued up to an altitude of 5,250 feet, the side slopes of 

 the ridge which they were on being described as very steep and extend- 

 ing for 2,000 feet below. Continuing along the ridge for the succeeding 

 days, on June 26 they reached a peak having an altitude of 7,250 feet. 

 but. on the following day in going along the ridge towards the main 

 range, they came to an impassable canon separating the spur on which 

 they were from the main range, and accordingly plans were made to 

 descend into the deep valley to the west and to follow the ridge beyond. 

 However, Mr. Merritt who was obliged to return to the coast, left the 

 party on the 28th of June and returned to Calapan. Regarding Lieu- 

 tenant Jennings' experiences after this date we have no information except 

 that he reached Calapan on the 7th of July, having attained the main 

 ridge on Halcon but not the highest peak. Mr. Merritt's report shows 

 that from June 1-4 to June 27, rainy weather prevailed most of the time. 

 Previously Lieutenant Jennings had made a trip into the interior 

 of Mindoro north of Halcon, following Lieutenant Lee's course up the 

 Baco and Alag Rivers for an estimated distance of 10 miles, where he 

 left the Alag and ascended the ridge to the north, reaching the Binabay 

 River. Mounting the ridge to the north of the Binabay, he followed 

 it for three days, mostly in a westerly direction, finally he recrossed the 

 Binabay River and taking the ridge between it and the Alag River, he 

 continued for five days, going west and somewhat north of west, reaching 

 an altitude of 6,000 feet on a ridge some distance north of Mount Halcon. 

 He reported from his experience on this trip- that he did not consider 

 the route from the north a feasible one for the ascent of Halcon, recom- 

 mending that whoever should make the attempt to climb the mountain, 

 should try a route from the vicinity of Lake Naujan or from the west 

 coast of Mindoro. 



OUR OWN ASCENT OF HALCON. 



A geographical and biological expedition to Mount Halcon was planned 

 in October, 1906, under the direction and with the support of Maj. Gen. 

 Leonard Wood, its object being to determine some feasible route to the 

 mountain, to ascend the highest peak, to secure as much data as possible 

 and to collect objects of natural history. The party was under the imme- 

 diate direction of Dr. E. A. M earns, major and surgeon. United States 

 Army, accompanied by Mr. W. I. Hutchinson, of the Philippine Forestry 

 Bureau, and myself, with one topographer, one hospital corps man, a 

 sergeant and five privates of the Twenty-fifth Company of Philippine 

 Scouts, two natives assistants for Dr. Mearns, and five native carriers 

 from Antipole Luzon. Fifteen additional native carriers were secured 

 at Subaan, Mindoro. 



We spent the day after our arrival on the morning of October 31 at 

 Calapan, the capital of Mindoro, in repacking the camp outfit, rations and 



