Notes and Correspondence. 213 



Edward Whymper. 

 Edward Whymper, the world's foremost mountaineer, who died 

 in London last week, was a pioneer in the art and practice 

 of high mountain-climbing, which of late years has become ex- 

 tremely popular and has been attended by great mortality, owing 

 to the lack of knowledge and training of many of the climbers. 

 When Mr. Whymper made the first ascent of the Matterhorn 

 in 1865, it was a feat attended by the greatest danger. Six 

 times he assaulted the mountain, and as many times he was 

 repulsed. The seventh attempt was made by what is now the 

 regular route of the climbers, but on the descent there was a 

 terrible disaster. Four of the party slipped and were killed, 

 and Mr. Whymper was saved only by the breaking of the rope 

 which bound him to his comrades. He has told the story with 

 graphic vividness in "Scrambles Among the Alps." Year after 

 year he made arduous and dangerous ascents, until he had stood 

 on most of the high peaks in Switzerland. He was also one of 

 the early climbers in the Andes, and when he was past fifty 

 years of age he made the first ascents in the Canadian Rockies. 

 Sooner or later these peaks would have been ascended if Edward 

 Whymper had not lived; but he was the first expert climber, 

 and his example and experience may be said to have created a 

 profession. He lived to see the ascent of the Matterhorn, which 

 looked so formidable, made comparatively easy. His most strik- 

 ing achievement was the ascent of Chimborazo, attaining an 

 elevation of 20,500 feet; he was the first man, so far as there 

 is any record, who looked down upon the world from that great 

 height. Others have since reached a higher altitude ; the Duke 

 d'Abruzzi, brother of the King of Italy, having reached a height 

 of 24,600 feet in the Himalayas. Mr. Whymper was not only a 

 climber, but a delightful recorder of experiences ; and his "Scram- 

 bles Amongst the Alps in the years 1860-69," "Travels Amongst 

 the Great Andes of the Equator," "Chamonix and Mont Blanc," 

 and "Zermatt and the Matterhorn" are admirable pieces of narra- 

 tive and descriptive writing, and are to be counted, not only 

 among the most popular books in their field, but as classics in 

 the department of literature to which they belong. Although 

 not in a technical sense a scientist, he rendered valuable service 

 to scientific knowledge; and, above all, he set a fine example 

 of human endurance, courage, and intelligence — qualities which, 

 expressed in his personality, enlarged the activities and the 

 enjoyments of vigorous, athletic men and women. — A^. Y. Outlook, 

 September 30, 191 1. 



[Edward Whymper was an honorary member of the Sierra 

 Club. The Editors.] 



