I have many acknowledgments to make. My thanks are due in the first place to Mr. Charles Turley Smith, who has contributed the chapters on Arctic and Antarctic Exploration, subjects on which he is specially equipped to write; and, in order to put the conquest of the two Poles in its proper light, has supplied a sketch of the long story of Polar exploration. I am deeply indebted to Mr. Arthur R. Hinks, the Secretary, and to Mr. Edward Heawood, the Librarian, of the Royal Geographical Society for their help and advice. I have also to express my thanks to Messrs. Constable and Company for permission to reproduce illustrations and to quote from works published by them; to Major G. H. Putnam and Messrs. Seeley, Service, and Company for the same kindness; to Major F. M. Bailey, C.I.E., the British Political Officer in Sikkim, for the story of the Brahmaputra Gorges; and to my friends of the Mount Everest Committee for their assent to my use of their beautiful photographs of that mountain. J. B. CONTENTS I. Lhasa II. The Gorges of the Brahmaputra III. The North Pole IV. The Mountains of the Moon V. The South Pole VI. Mount McKinley VII. The Holy Cities of Islam VIII. The Exploration of New Guinea IX. Mount Everest LIST OF PLATES The Summit of Mount Everest ... _Frontispiece_ View of the Potala Monastery at Lhasa, with the Chortan in the foreground Ruwenzori from the Hill near Kaibo The Valley to the West of Mount Baker Mount McKinley: View of the Southern Approach The Summit of Mount McKinley View of Medina View of Mecca New Guinea Canoes New Guinea Pygmies contrasted with ordinary Natives The _massif_ of Mount Everest The Chang La from the Lhakpa La, with Mount Everest on the left LIST OF MAPS The Expedition to Lhasa The Gorges of the Brahmaputra North Polar Regions The Peaks and Valleys of Ruwenzori The Route to Ruwenzori South Polar Regions Mount McKinley Wavell's Journey to Mecca The Exploration of New Guinea The Route of the Mount Everest Expedition I LHASA LHASA (_Map_, p. 24.)