ALPINE PHOTOGRAPHY

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7758, 12 January 1891, Page 5

ALPINE PHOTOGRAPHY

, THK TASiIAN AND MUBCHISQ-t-^ ;.• ■■•;• GLACIEBS.■■■; • ! __~^j» A TRYING EXPERIENCE. Included in the proceedings of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of ietthre td'W given*_e_fl Friday on "The Glaciers jof the Taaman -tr G. E. tp .illustrate the iectur- with lantern, slides, Mr E. Coopor_ operator; to Messra Wheeler.; and So«i v has visited .the, locality and obtained about five do2<*n plates of the Mnrchiaon and Tasin&n glaciers, of the scenery round the' Her* nritage, as well aa photographs of the mountain lily. Ive have all been made acquainted with' the difficulties of mountaineering by tho roparts of Mr MannerIng, and novrfroni Mr Coopes.we learn ol the troubles which accompany the photo* g-r&phid artist in obtaining the nicturesi Mr Cdoper" received' great aid frohV Mr' Broderick, thei : Gpv«rnisene Surveyor, and his party, who have placed flags in numerous stations, 'among the _i„;heat being Claason•■■■&»*Mis,lsooft, and Lelblj? range. 8000|t. Th. .party-have perfectly surveyed the Murchlsoli. which is named after SJi Rodeclci Morchiaorf, and froth their sur-vey-the Government''_r_ havsns* a stack : . made to ;the' i—at'glacier. Thlsia esght milea up .< the: glacier, ao—-'<-*r_erav McGreen estabJi#fe«rii &{&.£<& c«t»pt*ft«tc is to he built o|.'cor«pjEased: irou mM%$ withfe_t. Awtmfnfcasr*#w?proyldedj, i_^ii_Ma^&i^

venlence of tourists desirous of feeing the Alpine scenery to «rivaafc-®i. Mr Cooper has previously been into tne Mount Cook district, where he successfully obtained some excellent pictures; hut his experiences this visit are of a more trying character than any he has previously met with. The journey has for the most part to be performed on foot, each man carrying a swag weighing from 501b to 701b. It Is not hard to imagine the labor this occasions when crossing a moraine, where the surest method of progress Is crawling. The great masses of rock form little holding ground, the Ice blocks present an almost Insuperable difficulty, aud a foot forward often means many feet backwards. The first acquaintance with one of these moraines is apt to daunc the courage of any but intrepid mountaineers, and even should it be safely negotiated, the risk of of being struck by falling ice blocks or of sinking up to the waist in soft snow have to oe encountered. The feat requires a staunch heart and a sturdy physique, with clothes and boot 3 specially adapted for the rough usage to which.they are subjected. Ihe effect of a journey up Mount Cook Is Elatedly told in the following verses, md in the visitors' book at Pukaki :— The sun was sinking in the west, When down a Mount Cook glacier pres't A youth, who bore from snow and Ice -banner with the wise device

• '<• • *' Try it no more." flls boots were torn, his hair was wild. Bach shepherd as he passed him smiled, His coat in ribbons waved in air; His face I Well, once that face was fair. ' " Try it no more."

Such an experience was that of Mr Cooper—to whom, by the way, the poem Is not dedicated—and the party with whom he ascended the Murchison. His boots got torn, others supplied him burst, and every night cobbling became a necessity. One of the number (Mr Sladden) was so badly sunburnt that he had co -remain in his tent for two days. At the camp at the terminal face of the Murehison Glacier the party were kept by bad weather for thirteen nays, during which -time it ruined and snowed, lightened and thundered alternately, the crashing of avalanches and the roaring of the glacier rivets being thrown in as accomDaniments. The reverse of the picture was seen- on the bright day or two which Intervened, when the men could run about In their shirt-sleeves and admire the wonders of the Alpine world,' the glistening peaks rising in all directions, and the glaciers presenting a beautiful appearance, apparently only aa amooth as the waters of a placid river. Besides encountering dangers by the way, -the party suffered from want of provisions, and several times had to subsist on very little. Curried kea, weka, and kaka formed but a scanty supply, and bread nod tea with a little tinned meat or fruit Was the regulation diet. On one occasion they were completely out, the larder being -replenished only after a dangerous journey through wind and rain. Mr Cooper started from Christchurch on the 27th of November last, so that he was away for considerably over a month. He met With Mr Broderlck, Mr Sladden. and giarcy, after crossing the Hooker, and Bret halted at Green's second camp, Or a mile and a half from the terminal face of tbe Tasman glacier. The awagging of tents, impedimenta and provisions across the Tasman moraine was a slow, risky process, over a mass of broken and jagged rocks and ice about as nigh as the (Cathedral tower. Falls w ere numerous, but at last tbe base of Malte 'Bran spur was made, and a well-earned .est was enjoyed. From the spur three miles up the Murchison a three plate panorama of Mount Cook was obtained. After which, tho next rOad was over six tbilee of river-bed, and across a river 2*ee~ohdd among the coldest in New ZeaJanft to the terminal face of the Murchiaptu' Here they met with Messrs Mannerfag and Dixon, of whom a photograph was token, and also one of the Onslow Glacier trojh a position the reverse of comfortable, since the overhanging ice-cliffs threatened every moment to part and bring instant death with them. From the Liebeg range Mr Cooper tecured plates of Onslow Glacier, showing its' position and that of Mount Qhudleigh. Sandflies, even at this altitude, proved a lore nuisance to the party. It was just Seer this that the party were weather und for thirteen days. Storms of sleet, train and snow set in, and to save his Elates from damp Mr Cooper had to cover Is box With macintosh held down with •tones. Here it was that provisions ran But. and for several days the men lived fth dry bread and black tea. A journey -had to be made for provisions to a lower camp, which was successfully andertaken, and a meal was made of con- ' lehsed milk, jam, flour, and two kakas. this short supply was finished at break* last, and another expedition was undertaken. Three, including Mr Coopejr>, •jtarted for the main camp, and when h_lfiray down the Murchison riverbed, his boots gave way. Tied up with laces they tarried him to camp, where he ohta_.ed a Ughter pair. Halfway down Mr Broderlck was met returning with provisions, so fchat the hunger at camp would be appeased for a time. Mr Cooper's return to the upper camp was through a storm of .Wind, sleet and rain, which nearly blew him away, and drenched him to the skin, and it was bitterly cold. On the first opportunity they swagged it over the Murchison moraine, offering similar obstacles, to the Tasman, and went op three miles on .to the clear Ice. where they camped, sheltered by, a huge rock at an altitude of 4600 ft. She rain was followed by snow and a bard frost,' but fine weather in the early xhornlng induced them to attempt to get A panorama of the Malte Bran range. In this, however, they were disappointed. The following morning was glorious, and a naagniflcenfc view was obtained of the wonderful scenery, of stretch upon stretch el glacier, of tributary glaciers and peaks. J—ere Mr Cooper got twelve plates ot the panorama of the Malte Bzun range, and also took a photograph of Mr Broderlck end party before they started on the ascent of the saddle, which was supposed $o lead to the Classon glacier. The suadertaking was eventually successfully smomnllsbed, the party, after an absence of twelve hours, returning to camp completely knocked up. The altitude they S attained was 7500 ft. In the course of the he—t day Mr Cooper swagged the camera fco Ihe Murchison, and took six splendid ews. On New Year's, morning the aepers were awakened by a terrific peal at thunder, and barely were they asleep again when the tent fell on them, carried aow_, by the weight of snow. To scramble Unto their clothes and re-erect their fthelter was the next occupation. A clear bright morning fortunately succeeded the storm, and fine views of some targe crevasses were obtained. Photographs, were also obtained of the Dixon, Baker; Wheeler, Harper, and Cascade glaciers, and views looking up the Murchieon. And then a return was commenced, the Hermitage being reached in due conrsa. Mr Cooper came on to town on Saturday. He looked well and hearty after .his journey, his sunburnt features iha weather-beaten appearance telling plainly of the trials he had undergone. /While he was at the Hermitage, his Ex"wHehCy the Governor and his aide de camp arrived in a covered coach driven by Mr 0. Butherford, which was nearly blown over in the nor'-wester when coming from £»ukaki. The party, with Mr F. C. Huddlestone, visited the terminal face of the Mueller glacier, Kea Point, Governor's Bush, where MrHuddlestoue brought tne native birds round them, and on the 7th tost, they started for she great Tasman __acier, intending to go as far as Ball Glacier, after which his Excellency was to fieturn to Pukaki, where. Lady Onslow awaited him. Mr Cooper--as fortunate enough to obtain photographs of the group before leaving.