ASCENT OF EVEREST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18703, 8 May 1924, Page 9

ASCENT OF EVEREST.

NEW LEADER'S HOPES. CALCUTTA. April 28. Colonel Norton, who has succeeded General Bruce as the leader of the Mount Everest expedition, in despatching a message from Ehambajong on April 14, says that the expedition is continuing by Sliekarjong toward the base camp. General Bruce's illness is a severe blow and there is every reason to fear that his absence will be permanent. It had been decided at Pharijong that General Bruce, with Hingston and McDonald, should march to the plains of Tuna DocSien, while , the rest (followed the route taken in 1922. They hoped to meet 1 simultaneously at Khambajong. The second day out from Pharijong a messenger brought news of the general's illness, which, however, was thought would involve only two or three days' delay. However, a little later news was received that hia trouble was of a nature necessitating his return to a more genial climate.' Arrangements have been made for the general to rejoin the expedition with the least delay. Colonel Norton proceeds: "Conditions for marching are as favourable as we have any right to expect. We had to camp three nights when the thermometer recorded four degrees Fahrenheit one night, two degrees below zero next night, and one degree the following night. One night, when we were all enjoying the warmth and comfort of our palatial mess tent, the meteorologist surprised us by telling us that we were sitting in 10 degrees of frost. " The party suffered somewhat from stomach trouble, but otherwise has a clean bill of health. It speaks well for General BruceV careful selection of the porters that none of them to-day is sick. " We are running neck and neck with our time as recorded for the 1922 expedition, but dilatory. methods are inseparable from Tibetan transport. We lost the day's start gained at Pharijong, but we have made arrangements for a change of transport at Tinkijong, so that our march may not be delayed even for a "There is still hope that we will beat our previous time to the base camp.