Let the Switzer boast of his Alpine host; But the Scotsman kens of a thousand Bens Oh! their names are most supernal, but you'll find 'em in the Journal, As compiled by that enthusiast, Munro. The Salvationist takes his pick from the list, And the agile Ultramontane finds the exercise he's wantin' Each gets climbing that'll please him, as the mood may chance to seize him, When we go up to the mountains in the snow. Chorus. Good comrades we, of the S.M.C., We're a jolly band of brothers, tho' we're sons of many mothers; And trouble, strife, and worry-Gad! they quit us in a hurry. When we go up to the mountains in the snow. For our northern land offers sport so grand, And in every kind of weather do we ply the good shoe-leather; And from Caithness down to Arran, on the mountains big and barren, You" can trace our little footprints in the snow." Chorus. From the sunrise flush, when the hill-tops blush, Till the moonbeams quiver on the ice-bound river, We push attack and foray, over ridge and peak and corrie, When we go up to the mountains in the snow. When the long day's done, and the vict'ry's won, And the genial whisky toddy cheers the spirit, warms the body, Then the ptarmigan and raven, far aloft above our haven, Chorus. LIBRARY AND CLUB-ROOM. The following additions to the Library, over and above the usual exchanges, have to be noted : Ladies' Alpine Club Report, 1913. Presented. Scottish Geographical Magazine for 1912. Presented by J. Rennie. Pamphlet on "The Post-Glacial History of Sequoia gigantea." By John Muir. August 1876. Presented by J. Rennie. History of the Kingdom of Scotland from Fergus the First to 1707, containing "Description of Kingdom of Scotland and the Isles thereunto belonging." By J. W., M.D. (Jas. Wallace). Dublin, 1724. Geographical Illustrations of Scottish History, containing, inter alia, corrections of corrupted place-names, with Map. By David Macpherson. London, 1796. : Ski-ing The Review of the British Ski Association. December 1912. Vol. I. No. 1. Presented. 1672. The Englishman in the Alps: being a Collection of English Prose and Poetry relating to the Alps. Edited by Arnold Lunn. 1913. Blaeu's Atlas of Scotland and Ireland. Map of Scotland and Islands thereto belonging from new surveys, showing Roads of Communication and Military ways, Roman Camps, Roads, &c., Danish Camps and Forts, &c. &c. James Dorret, Land Surveyor. London, 1750. By Notes on the Church of St. Fyndoca and its Monuments on the Island of Inishail, Loch Awe. By Wm. Douglas. From the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Vol. XLVI. Presented by Wm. Douglas. The Alps, or Sketches of Life and Nature in the Mountains. By H. Berlepsch. Translated by the Rev. Leslie Stephen, M.A. With Report and Estimates relative to a proposed Road in Scotland from Memoirs of Geological Survey: Geology of Upper Strathspey, Gaick and Forest of Atholl (explanation of Sheet 64). By Geo. Barrow, L. H. Hinxman, and Others. 1913. Presented on behalf of Board of Education. Ladies' Scottish Climbing Club. Fifth Annual Record. Presented. SLIDE COLLECTION. The following members are thanked for their contribution of slides : Allan Arthur 6 slides. 2 slides. EXCURSIONS AND NOTES. The Editor will be glad to receive brief notices of any noteworthy expeditions. These are not meant to supersede longer articles, but many members who may not care to undertake the one will have no difficulty in imparting information in the other form. THE BRACK: "Elephant" GULLY.-An ascent of this gully was made by R. C. Davie, George B. Smith (non-members), and myself on 23rd May 1910. In detail our route was the same as Mr Raeburn's (see p. 209 of this volume) except at the second pitch, where we were able to cross from the top of the large turf-covered chockstone to the foot of the tunnel by two different routes: Mr Raeburn's description does not make it clear whether he followed the lower or higher of these. As at the time we were ignorant of the previous ascent in 1906 and accordingly believed the climb to be a new one, a small cairn was built at the exit from the tunnel; this apparently is the cairn which Mr Raeburn found in November of last year, and in error attributes to Messrs Shadbolt and M'Laren. Under summer conditions the climb presents no great difficulty. JAMES M. WORDIE. MOUNTAINEERING LITERATURE. "ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS. THEIR MEANING AND USE, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TYPICAL SHEETS." By Marion I. Newbigin, D.Sc. (Lond.): W. & A. K. Johnston, Ltd. 1913. IS. net. The above little book of 126 pp. will interest any member of the S.M.C. Many instructive facts are touched upon in Part I., which is divided into three chapters, headed respectively : The Difficulties of Map-Reading. For example, as maps are flat, and the country they represent, at any rate in many of the Scottish sheets, is very hilly, it is obvious that the distance between two places, as shown on the map, cannot be the actual distance the climber has to cover, and the method of arriving at the shortage of the map distance is set out on pp. 28-31. Part II. consists of descriptions of some typical sheets; four sheets are taken in England and four in Scotland, those for Scotland being the Balmoral, Oban, Ullapool, and Haddington districts. Taking the Oban sheet as an example, the sub-headings of the chapter describing it will give an idea of Miss Newbigin's method of dealing with the subject. They are as follows: Position. Geological Structure. Chief Topographical Features. Effects of Ice. The author has the gift of making her subject clear with a minimum use of scientific terms, so that the man in the street or the mere walker who is innocent of geology will yet understand what he reads, and will find, if he does not know already, how intensely interesting maps are, and what an amount of information can be gained from them. The price of the book—one shilling-ought to encourage a large sale. THE JOURNAL.-Nos. 15, 23, 26, 44-48, 53, 55, 59-70, are still in print, and may be obtained at Is. each from Messrs Douglas & Foulis, 9 Castle Street, Edinburgh, who also accept orders to supply the Journal regularly, at the rate of 3s. (or 3s. 6d. by post) per annum, payable in advance. The Hon. Librarian, Mr Arthur W. Russell, 23 Castle Street, Edinburgh, has for sale a few copies of a number of those parts of the Journal which are out of print; also complete volume unbound: for prices and other particulars application should be made to him. The Hon. Librarian has had placed in his hands by a member for sale a very finely bound set of the Journal. There is also on the market a copy of No. 6 of the Journal belonging to a non-member. This number, which is very scarce, contains Munro's Tables, is in good preservation and is neatly bound in cloth. The Librarian will be pleased to receive offers on behalf of the seller from any members desiring same. Copies of the Index to the first ten volumes of the Journal (3s. 6d. net, postage 4d.) can also be had from the Librarian. |