good form of government for a country, I think most of you will agree with me that for expeditions of this sort the more nearly the province of the leader approximates to that of a dictator, the more likely things are to run smoothly, provided that leader is the right man. There is no doubt whatever that they had the right leader in this particular case. It is evident from what we have heard to-night how much the success of the expedition was due to the forethought, the unremitting previous work, and the great power of leadership of MacCarthy. In one respect I have very great sympathy with him. I think one of the penalties of leadership is having to turn back the men whose health is obviously going to give way, and perhaps be a source of danger to the rest of the party. That he had the courage to take that responsibility on him at the right moment is, no doubt, one of the factors which led to what is perhaps one of the most remarkable things in the whole expedition, namely, the complete absence of any casualties. To any one who has climbed at high altitudes in the Himalaya the most surprising thing is the carrying of those loads right up to 17,500 feet; and do not forget that from 16,500 feet, even when you are acclimatized for weeks at altitudes approximating to that, walking with loads is really a very severe exertion. Personally, it is entirely beyond me; I cannot understand how they did it; I think it is an amazing performance, a Herculean task. I should like to know whether they practised it a great deal beforehand in order to get their muscles right, and, secondly, what was their average loss of weight at the end. I doubt if Dr. Longstaff can tell us that. At first sight I thought that inside the Arctic Circle a minimum temperature of 33° below zero was high-I was a little surprised to find it was not lower -and then I realized that this was at an altitude of just on 18,000 feet, and at a camp which was, no doubt, justly termed Windy Camp. A temperature 33° below zero under such conditions is pretty trying. And my second thought was one of astonishment at the amazing hardihood of men who went on after experiencing such temperatures, and also at the excellence of their equipment and the completeness of the preparations that enabled them to withstand such temperatures, as they said, with comparatively little discomfort. In conclusion, I should like to add my tribute of admiration of this really remarkable achievement. One hates superlatives, but I think that when you come to consider the conditions, you will realize that the conquest of a mountain of the magnitude of Mount Logan in those latitudes, and at the very first attempt, must stand alone, a unique performance in the annals of mountain exploration. Mr. A. L. MUMM: After hearing the views of Dr. Longstaff and Colonel Norton, you will not want to hear much from any one of lesser calibre. The only title I have to add anything at all is that I have climbed a good deal in the Canadian Rockies, and after listening attentively to Mr. Lambart's account of the expedition and Dr. Longstaff's comments, I have failed to find any analogy between this expedition and climbing in the Rockies, which is ordinary climbing of the kind one is accustomed to in the Alps. I entirely agree with what Dr. Longstaff said, that in spite of Mr. Lambart's dictum that there were no serious mountaineering difficulties, nevertheless the expedition, taken in itself, was one of extraordinary brilliance. Colonel Norton's conclusion was practically the same. I entirely endorse both those views. I was particularly glad that those great climbers Mr. MacCarthy and Colonel Foster were both among the successful six who reached the top. Colonel Foster I met at two of the Canadian Club camps. He had a very brilliant career in France during the war as a Colonel in the Canadian Army. Mr. MacCarthy I have seen a good deal more of, and I sincerely hope that we shall see him later over here, and possibly that some of us may hear the story of Mount Logan from his own lips. He is the right person to tell it. Mr. N. E. ODELL: I can add to what has been said already only my admiration for the achievement of this expedition. It is extraordinary that the party was able to overcome all those immense Arctic difficulties and reach the summit at the first attempt. To come through an expedition such as that with no more damage than two frost-bitten fingers and toes is amazing. I have taken a particular interest in this expedition, for I had a direct invitation to join it, but unfortunately was not able to do so. I am however just off to Canada, and I hope before long to have a sight of the Rockies, to see a little of the party, and to hear more details of the expedition. The PRESIDENT: Before we express our thanks to Mr. Lambart for writing this excellent paper, and to Dr. Longstaff for having taken a very great deal of trouble to grasp the whole subject of it and present it to us as clearly as he did, I think we should first of all formally congratulate Mr. MacCarthy and every member of the party that attained the summit of Mount Logan upon the remarkable success which attended the still more remarkable care with which they organized their expedition. That said, we are free to express our more instant and immediate thanks to Mr. Lambart and to Dr. Longstaff; I am sure we owe them a very great deal. It would have been impossible, not only in this country but almost anywhere in Europe, to find any one with such varied experience as Dr. Longstaff to interpret to us in the absence of the author the account of so remote and so unique an expedition as that sent to Mount Logan by the Alpine Club of Canada. I do not know whether Dr. Longstaff has anything to say in reply to Colonel Norton's questions. Dr. T. G. LONGSTAFF: In reply to the questions asked by Colonel Norton, I can only say that the members of the party probably lost all the weight they possibly could lose. I have had some personal experience of Canadian loads : I once offered to carry a real pack, and they gave me 100 lbs. When they lifted me up I could get along as well as a good many, but once I sat down or fell down, I could not get up again. A good packer habitually carries 100 lbs. ; on this trip at their highest camps they carried 35 lbs. a man. It has really been a labour of love to get up this paper, because it describes a very fine exploit, and I hope that I have done justice to Lambart's modest account. really was a very fine feat indeed. It The PRESIDENT: I think we are all filled with admiration rather than envy for that particular party. I ought to add that we are not entirely strangers to this expedition. The Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club both contributed to the expense of the expedition, not of course in any very large sum, but in the most cordial possible manner, and they both hoped that that which has been realized would be realized. (27) THE HYDROPLANE OF THE HAMILTON RICE EXPEDITION, 1924-25 From the Report prepared at the direction of Dr. Hamilton Rice for Major-General Mason M. Patrick, Chief of the Air Service, U.S. Army, by Capt. A. W. Stevens, U.S. Air Service. D ESCRIPTION of the Curtiss Sea-gull Hydroplane. - Biplane, pusher type; engine: Curtiss C-6, 160 h.p., 6 cylinder; ignition : Splitdorf magnetos; gasoline system: air pressure, 5 lbs. normal; capacity of tank: 42 gallons; gasoline consumption per hour, cruising, 11 to 12 gallons. Maximum time actually covered on one flight was 31 hours, with 5 gallons remaining in tank at end of flight. Speed of plane, about 70 land miles an hour. Capacity, three persons, including pilot. Only two persons were carried, however; the weight of one person was carried in camera, food and supplies. Wings and control surfaces were covered with aluminium dope. This resisted the action of the sun's rays very successfully, and the fabric retained its life and did not become inert even with nine months of constant exposure to tropical rains and sunlight. It must be borne in mind that the plane had no protection whatever, being anchored in rivers all the time. It was pulled out at intervals for a few days whenever opportunity came, to dry out the hull, on a sand-bar or on a sloping bank. The plane was in the water at least 80 per cent. of the time. The bottom of the hull was covered for the most part with two layers of planking, with canvas and marine glue between. The tail section, however, was originally covered with veneer, and after four weeks of use this became so soft that some of it came off during a take-off of the plane. It was necessary to replace the tail veneer with planking; this was done at a place called Sirorocco, a collection of huts about 11 north of the equator. The work had to be done under particularly unfavourable conditions, on a muddy bank, with frequent rains, and with swarms of piumes and mosquitoes present. In two days the plane was ready for use again, and the tail section has since proven to be as tight as the balance of the hull. Marine glue and canvas are invaluable for repair work of this nature. Under constant exposure to the sun, the woodwork apparently shrank a trifle, and after two months of use it was necessary to take up half a turn to a turn on most of the turn buckles. Part of the slack may be accounted for by strains in flying, and by fittings pulling into place. It was not necessary to replace any flying wires or control wires. The magnetos (Splitdorf) required practically no attention, beyond oiling and inspection of the contacts. The spark plugs were B-C, and it was not necessary to remove or clean a single plug on either of the two engines during the whole flying time of 174 hours. Two engines were provided. The first engine was replaced at a settlement called Vista Alegre, 2o north of the equator, after it had sixty five hours' use. While this motor was running perfectly, the spare engine was at hand, and it was considered advisable to change while there was a good opportunity. The magnetos were transferred to the second engine. Up to the time the plane reached the Parima River the second engine had been run 88 hours, and at the time the plane returned to Manaos it had a total of 109 hours' service. The total flying time of the plane was therefore 174 hours; at 60 nautical miles per hour this gave 10,400 miles, or at its equivalent of nearly 70 land miles per hour, a total mileage of 12,000 land miles. The lubricating oil used was a mixture of 50 per cent. castor and 50 per cent. mineral oil, and was furnished by the Curtiss Company; it was transferred to 5-gallon tins for convenience in transportation. In ordinary weather there was no trouble in starting the motor from normal temperature condition. As the plane began to get up into the mountains, at elevations over 800 feet above sea-level, the nights became sufficiently cool to cause the oil to thicken. This thickening made it impossible to spin the motor fast enough to cause ignition. It was therefore necessary to heat water in the early mornings, with which to fill the radiator and engine. Early morning take-offs were the rule, for the hydroplane climbed much better in the comparatively cool morning air, and did not overheat the engine, as in the middle of the day. Furthermore, the air was comparatively calm and free from bumps. For photographic purposes early morning work was necessary, for clouds were certain to form between 8.00 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. During the middle of the day clouds always were present. Often there was a clear period after 4.00 p.m., but as the air was then hot, it was seldom advisable to take off unless conditions were especially favourable, such as a pronounced breeze up or down river. Practically all the photographic work was done, therefore, in the early morning, and it was only possible to secure sufficient exposure in these early morning hours by making use of Hypersensitized Panchromatic Film, which is sensitive enough to other light than blue, to permit good exposure at the hour of 6.30 a.m. Gasoline. The gasoline was supplied from Para in 5-gallon tins, two to the case, by the Anglo-Mexican Petroleum Co., Ltd. The cans were inspected to see that each was full before shipment, and the cans were given an outside coat of black asphaltum varnish to prevent rusting, and also to prevent confusion with cans of kerosene used for launch propulsion. Gasoline Troubles. -No trouble was experienced with the gasoline. While reports have been made of trouble from moisture in gasoline in the tropics, it was found that no water was present in the plane tank in quantity large enough to detect (although the tank was drained several times in search of water). It is true that a tank like that of the Curtiss "Sea-Gull" is protected from extremes of heat by its location within |