hence this remark. Having himself the curious mental twist he has described, he took a well-known proverb, transposed the word in, and changed the construction into mens insana, corpore sano. (Laughter). Of course he was speaking about the danger of the ascent as it was then."
Speaking of the care taken by the Alpine Club to obviate danger in climbing, he remarked: "I have had sent me reproachful cuttings from newspapers month after month in the season, with 'What do you think of this, President of the Alpine Club?' written upon them. (Laughter). I find this sort of thing: a party of three has been lost; one was a shoemaker, another a waiter, and another a student of the age of sixteen; that is the sort of thing with which we are reproached. With regard to the Club itself we are in this position: People talk about the danger of going without guides. Now, in the list of qualifications for entrance to the Club applicants frequently state that certain of their ascents were made guideless. We found that to be of very little real use as evidence, because so many members of the Alpine Club are at least as good as guides. We are now obliged to ask, 'Who was your companion when you ascended guideless?' (Laughter). The committee has had to make that change in very recent times. That, I think, may be a useful hint to those who are not exactly of us this evening, how very much the Alpine Club has succeeded in eliminating the element of danger. There are, of course, heaps of places where if you do slip there is probably an end of you; but the Alpine Club knows so well how to negotiate these places that in the last three years, and for some time before that, I am glad to say there has not been a single accident to any one of the six or seven hundred members of the Club." (Hear, hear).
During the course of his speech the Bishop of Bristol read a note of congratulation from President
