IN THE HIMALAYAS

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 14 February 1930, Page 4

IN THE HIMALAYAS

H ALF-H UMAN; MEN. The latest inessage received through Darjeeling from tne German Himalayan Expedition contains the interesting inroi matiou that the “abominable snowmen ’ have turned up again, says an overseas paper. As usual, they have not been visible, but their footprints nave been seen anu voices have been heard, it is hoped that this time the footprints will be photographed. It may be remembered that- tlie Sogpa, as the hillmen name them, were also reported during the third Everest Expedition, and in 1928 a well-known British cloinber reported having watched them through held glasses near tho Tailing Glacier. Again, last October, porters with a party from Calcutta heard these mysterious half-human creatures around and in their camp in the snow at the Guicrha La. and also said that their boxes had been broken into. On the present occasion, two of the Sogpa are reported to have been heard near Camp 5, close to the upper end of the Zemu .Glacier carrying on a conversation “like hens clucking,” and their footprints, or, raher, toeprints, i were seen next morning. The existence of these snow-men has long been believed' in by the Sherpa, the Rhutia, and the Lepcha tribes. It is also reported that shortly before the dispatch of the last report, Camp 7, which i,s next above the new advance base camp, was overwhelmed by an avalanche just after having been .vacated. The climbers had been minimising such risks and also avoiding the difficulties of hard snow by climbing a good deal at night, for which the moon and weather had been favourable.

The Germans .speak in the highest terms of their porters, whom they say ran hardly hold hack. The porters, in their turn, say that the Germans are full of grit, and that is praise indeed from men who have climbed high on Everest with such us Mallory. Irvine Norton. O’Dell, and -others of the three expeditions.