MET A TIGER

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 123, 27 May 1930, Page 9

MET A TIGER

CLIMBER'S ADVENTURE

The last ■detachment of the Kinchinjunga expedition, .which left Darjeeling, 'in, charge of Colonel Tobin, eiperienced delay owing to difficulties in obtaining sufficient mules for transport on the new' route through Nepal, says the "Manchester Guardian." This route demands \ much larger force and increased kit and the provision of nigger supplies of food,, than had been prepared for the. Sifckint route. ;

As one result of ithis there were some monetary ! difficulties since Professor Dyhrenf urth had not left a power of attorney. A messenger, sent hot-foot, overtook Professor Dyhrenfurth beyond Rinchenping and returned w,ith the required signature within '48 hours—a very smart piece of travelling. Meanwhile the necessary money had been provided from Calcutta, but proved to be not wanted. "■/ . ' Mr. Gasparie, who left the' expedition for private reasons, has returned home. A special correspondent ■ with the expedition, in a letter written from Dar-V jeeling before the party <left for the basecamp, said: — , ' ■ My introduction to the Himalaya, was not a little exciting. Wood Johnson met me at-. Siliguri, the junction for the nar-row-ga*ige railway that winds up 7000 ft to Darjeeling. He was going to carry m? on ■ the pillion of his motor-bicycle up to the' tea plantation of Kangi Rangliot, about 4000 ft and 25 miles higher. We left the Hat Bengal plain and entered the1 foothills by ■ the Teesta Valley. The road, climbed- and climbed by, hairpin - bends . round the precipitous sides of the valley in intense stagnant heat. Half-way up we got a puncture in the' front wheel. We had no repair outfit, so Wood Johnson had to go on with ,a flat tire to get it mended, Waving .mo to follow on foot; . : ON THE ROAD. As I trudged along, white with dust, in the stifling heat the forest was .dead still, except for occasional shrieks • 'by. tropical birds. I had just turned a corner when I was greeted with a most unpleasant snarl, and saw in the undergrowth a largo tiger crouching not five yards'' away. ." -' , I was quite unariiied and none of the trees were, elimbable.- It appeared bad policy to run, so I went on walking as quietly as possible, the brute\ following me. Then it seemed to get bored and slouched off; Soon Wood ' Johnson , returned, and we went on. People seem to think I should congratulate myself on having seen a tiger, A native had been killed a week or so before by qiie, and since our meeting he has made two more kills, _of deer, 'I think. The tiger I met sounded pretty hungry. . ;

"We actually arrived in, Darjeeling m fog and rain, cold enough for fires, like Lake District, weather. • We have had one most impressive thunderstorm. It came at night from. Mount Everest. The lightning was vivid, but occurred seldom.' An extraordinarily long time elapsed between the flashes and the report. I timed the intervals, and one was as long -as 130scc. Assuming that the sound was coming at about .one mile'in 4%sec, the storm must have been nearly 30 mile's away. The isolated position of Darleelirig at 7000 ft find the deep channel-like valleys may have helped the sound along, but never before have I heard a 1 storm at a greater distance than ten to fifteen miles.