"THE TWO CUMBERS "— ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 77, 3 April 1897, Page 2

"THE TWO CUMBERS "— ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your London correspondenb has quoted a portion of bhe Loudon "Daily Chronicle's" review of my book " Pioneer Work in bhe New Zealand Alps," in which bhab paper elates me in a good partisan spirib. Having published this portion of bhe review 1 think I may ask you to publish a word from me.

To quote the "Chronicle " (the italics are mine): "Mr Harper evidently feels keenly that the fame of New Zealand alpinisbs suffers from the facb that after all their climbing they neither succeeded in scaling the higltest peaks or crossed the pass Fitzgerald and Zurbriggen came, and very soon did both, and the New Zealand Government paid the former the honour of naming the pas 6 after him." (I. named the said pasß after him—bub that's a detail.) Thus far the " Chronicle " which takes all its facts from Mr Fitzgerald and gathers the above impression therefrom. The truth of the matter, as can be seen in the published records of the exploration of the Southern Alps, is that New Zealanders climbed Mount Cook and five other of the higher peaks over 10,080 feet and also explored and mapped the whole district, while Mr Fitzgerald subsequently climbed five good peaks (as good as any in the Alps), and wenb over bhe ground with our maps in hiß hand, and then went to England, and while detailing his own experiences omitß the work ot New Zealand mon, thereby naturally he materially increases the importance of his own. His climbs were as good as those by New Zealand climbers, bub he climbed in already explored country. New Zealand men bad first to explore bhe counbry. and then climb bheir peaks, aud did bobh.

My Bin, in the eyes of the "Chronicle," seems to be tbab I have dared to record our doings, and because the dates thereof do away with much assumed credib by Mr Ifitzgorald his champion baa dropped on me I N o one can honestly find a " sneer " ab him in my book ; be is nob a "rival" of mine, and I have nob " cribicised " him ab all. One or bwo remarks aboub men taking credib for work done by othera were made, bub they are general—nob personal. No paper has discovered bhab thoy relate to Fitzgerald except the London " Daily Chronicle," and I suppose they deem thab the "cap fits " their friend. As to whether ib does or nob, it is nob for me to Bay. On looking over the pages of the book, I can ccc nothing to justify these statements. I purposely kept away from controversial matter, and with all due deference to your correspondent, I have not criticised Fitz gerald, and he must be a clever man to find any "spleen." lam nob a splenic individual! He evidently has nob lead the book. I have greab admiration for Mr Fitzgerald's and his guide's work in the Alps, and say so in my book, and do nob " underestimate the other's achievements." I gave bim full credit for all be did, and thab I fear is my crime ; the , public and private records of New Zealand, which I quote, speak for themselves, and bhe " Daily Chronicle " does nob like to discover bhab we New Zealanders knew so much aboub our own counbry as bo render it possible bbab our visitor's claims to "discovery " were over • estimated and exaggerated.—Yours, etc., Arthur P. Harper, Thames, March 22.