DRAMATIC INCIDENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17239, 21 April 1930, Page 8

DRAMATIC INCIDENT

NATIVE RUNS AMOK KINCHIN JUNG A ASCENT (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Kress Assn.) (Received April 21, noon.) LONDON. April 20. There was a dramatic incident- at the little hamlet of Tingling while the Kiuchinjunga, expedition was on route lo Nepal A coolie ran amok and stubbed another coolie with a billman's curved knife, and attempted to brain Mr. F. S- Smythe with a stone. The others overpowered and hound liim. The expedition camped for ihe first time at Tingling, but is now en route, to Rang Pass, by which it- will enter Nepal. A heavy snowstorm dispirited the natives, many of whom refused to continue the journey, but the majority were persuaded to go on. At a farewell dinner given in London by the Alpine Ski Club to Mr. Smythe. Mr. C. S. Ainery, who proposed the health of Mr. Smythe, said he had been selected for several reasons. One of them was his youth. Climbing was a pursuit one could keep up for a good many years—but not- in the Himalaya. Mr. Smythe had a very considerable degree of mountaineering proficiency and it was excellent that lie had been selected to join an expedition that combined some of the finest climbing talent in the world. It. was a wonderful think to attempt Kiuchinjunga. . The true spirit of romance lay behind all climbing. They hoped Air. Smythe and the party would achieve their object and return in 1 rinmph. Mi 1 . Smythe, replying, said that when he was ski-ihg in Switzerland lie met Herr M. Kur/,, who was a fellow-member of the expedition, and it was then suggested 10 him that- he should join it. He noticed that this expedition was referred to as a League of Nations in miniature. lie thought that was its strongest point. The leader. Professor <l. O. Dylironfurtli, had been planning tin' expedition for 20 years and had been greatly assisted by his wife. He believed an organisation and equipment had been got- together that would give Kiuchinjunga a shock. They Imped to get permission to attack the mountain from the Nepal side and approach it from the west.