EDITORIAL

APRECEDING editorial expressed the hope that Volume XX would be less tardy in appearing than Volume XIX had been. Although it can be fairly claimed that this hope has been realized, the claim is at best a relative one. We have exceeded our target¬date—and for this we apologize.

Following the sad death of Lt.-Col. H. W. Tobin in January 1957, several problems arose. Volume XX, which had assumed fair shape with every reasonable prospect of early publication, now seemed to hang in the balance. Finding a successor was the first problem; the next was for him to fit himself cautiously into the task. These and many other problems were sorted out by many willing hands.

Volume XX is partly Tobin's child. But it would have been unfair to present it as it stood. We have therefore dressed it and brought it up to date, thus making as much use as possible of the extra time that has been consumed. We believe that as it stands the continuity of our record has been retained. So it is styled Volume XX—1957, because it covers all the main expeditions in 1956 and one notable 1957 expedition.

The job has been handled at two separate ends, and had it not been for the efficient co-ordination of Mr. G. C. Band at the U.K. end it would have been impossible to encompass such a wide field.

We gratefully acknowledge our thanks to the Editor of the Alpine Journal for permitting us to reproduce two maps, one obituary notice and five book reviews.

Once again we have received the utmost assistance from Mr. Norman A. Ellis, of the Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta.

To all those who have helped in producing this volume and to any others to whom we have not elsewhere expressed our apprecia¬tion, we offer our warmest thanks; their co-operation has greatly eased our task.