1、TheYetiGeorgeLaycockTallestoftheworld,smountainsaretheHimalayas.TheyextendforfifteenhundredmilesacrosssouthernAsia.Insomeplacestherangeistwohundredmileswide.Withinthissprawlingdesolateregionliewildernessvalleysandtoweringpeaksseldomvisitedbyhumans.Therearealsosomefertilevalleys,chokedwithdensejungle
2、anddottedwithlittlefarmclearings.Butfartherup,theclimategrowscold,untilfinallytheworldisfilledwithsnow-cappedpeaks,sharpridges,andprecipitouscliffs.InthishighcountryoftheHimalayas,beyond13,000-footelevations,theelementsareharshandthewindblowsbittercold,stirringwhiteIaceworksofsnowaroundtheboulders.O
3、nemightthinkthatinthisinhospitableworldnolargecreaturescouldexistatall.Butwhataboutthosegiantfootprints?Onnumerousoccasionsmountaineershavediscoveredthem.Somethingseemstogowalkingupthere.ColonelL.A.WaddelwasexploringtheslopesofMountEverest,theworld,shighestpeak,in1887.whenhecamedownhereportedunident
4、ifiedfootprints.Threeyearslateranotherclimberreportedhavingseentheprintsagain.Thistimetheywereatanelevationof18,500feet.Thetracksleduphillandvanishedamongtheboulders.Russiansoldiersreportedshootingandkillingacreatureintheirmountaincountryin1925.Again,in1942,SlavomirRawicz,aPolishsoldierescapingfroma
5、Russianconcentrationcamp,wasmakinghiswaybackoutovertheHimalayas.AshecrossedoverfromTibet,heencountered,atadistanceofonlyonehundredyards,twohuman-likecreatures.Heestimatedthemtobeeightfeethighandsaidtheyhadmassivearms,squareheads,andthickcoatsofbrownfur.ToTibetantribesthesereportswerenotunexpectedata
6、ll.Theyseemtoknowthesearecreaturesthathavelonglivedthere.Theyhavevariouslocalnames.Usuallytheyarecalled“Yeti.”Whatcouldtheybe?Maybegiantbears.SomeinsisttheybelongtothespeciesUrsusarctosisabellinus.ButtheYeti,asprovedbytheirfootprints,walkontwofeet.Bearscanwalkontwofeetbutdonotdosoformmorethanafewste
7、ps.Theyaredefinitelynotknowntogoleapingaboutthesnowfieldsontheirhindfeet.Othersclaimthatthemysterioustracksinthesnowwereleftbyalangurmonkey.Butthesecreaturesaretoosmall,andbesides,they,too,walkonallfourfeet.Meanwhile,doubtersspeculatethathighaltitudedoesstrangethingstopeople,andmaybesome,frightenedb
8、ythelonelyplace,lettheirimaginationsrunwild.ThetroublewiththishasbeenthatovertheyearsevidencecontinuestopileupindicatingthattheYeti-orsomething一isuptherejustasthelocaltribeshavealwaysinsisted.OnereporttellsofanEverestexpeditionof1923,farabovethemtheclimberssightedfiguresinthesnowfields.Thecreaturesw
9、eremoving.Whenclimbersreachedthearea,therewerefootprintsshowingplainlyinthesnow.WhenItalianexplorerA.N.Tombaziclimbeduptotheglacierareain1925,onethinghedefinitelydidnotexpecttoencounterwastheYeti.Atfirst,Tombazihadatendencytomakelightofthewholestory.Whenthesubjectcameupinconversationshewouldflashhis
10、charmingsmileonthoseassembledandrefertothelegendaryYetiasthatdeliciousfancy.ButthatwasbeforeMr.Tombaziwentupthemountain.Somewhatlater,backinBombay,India,hisstorywasquitedifferent.HehadseenhisfirstYeti.Oneofhisexcitedportersdrewhisattentiontoit.“Unquestionably,“Tombaziwrotelater,thefigureinoutlinewas
11、exactlyupright,andstoppingoccasionallytouprootsomedwarfrhododendrons.Itshoweddarkagainstthesnowandworenoclothing.Later,hefoundfootprintsanddescribedthemindetail.AmongotherswhosawtrackswasexplorerandsurveyorEricShipton.Hefoundtracksat16,000feetin1936,later,in1951,hefoundothertracksandphotographedthem
12、ThesepictureshavehelpedconvincemanythatthereissubstancetothestoryoftheYeti.Thephotographshowedafootwithfourtoes.Obviouslyitwasnothefootofabear.Neitherwasitanythingelsescientistscouldidentify,.theseanimals,whatevertheywere,“saidtheNewYorkTimes,udidexist.”At19,000feet,SirJohnHuntfoundYetiprintsin1937
13、anotherstorytellsoftwoNorwegianswhohappenedontwosetsoftracksinthatsameareaelevenyearslater.TheNorwegiansfollowedthetrackshopingforalookatthestrangecreaturesaboutwhichtheyhadheardandread.SoontheycameupontheYetiresponsiblefortheracks.IfyoucomebackdownthemountainandreporthavingseentheYeti,somemaybelie
14、ve.ButifyoubringalongtheYeti,nobodycandoubtyourword.WhattheNorwegiansaresaidtohavedonenextwasnotexactlytheapprovedwayofcapturingaYeti;theytriedtolassoit.Thiseffortfailedandwearespareddetailsofwhyorhow.TheNorwegianscamebackdownthemountainandreportedthattheYetilooksalotlikealargeape.Thisdescription,ho
15、wever,isageneralization.WhatwouldtheYetilooklike?Naturallytherearevariationsinthereportsbyeyewitnesses.Notwopeople,surprisedbyamonsterhighintheHimalayas,arelikelytoseequitethesamething.Butthefollowingcompositeportraitisassembledfromvarioussources.Understandable,considerableattentionhasbeenpaidtothef
16、eet.Therehavebeenreportsoftracksuptoeighteenincheslong.ButpeopleofsoundjudgmentnowbelievethefeetoftheYetitobesomewhatsmaller.Mostagreethattheyareatleasttwelvetofourteenincheslongandquitebroadinproportiontotheirlength.ThosephotographedbyEricShiptonweretwelveincheslong.Theyweresowidethatinsometrackswh
17、erethesunhadmeltedtheedgesofthetrackstheyappearedalmostroundorsquare.However,smallertrackshavebeenfound,too,andthisleadssomepeopletospeculatethatthereareactuallytwokindsofYeti,asmallspeciesandalargeone.Thesmallerspecieshasbeenreportedfromtimetotimeatlowerelevationsinthedensejunglesoftherivervalleys.
18、Alongtheserivers,whenthereisnosnow,theyleavetheirmarksinthesands.Inthehighlands,however,theYetimayappearsuddenlyanywherebetween13,000and20,000feet.Theyseldomcomedowntothevillages,justaspeopleseldomgouptoelevationswheretheYetilive.TheYetiarecoveredwithlongbrownishhairwhichfallsdownovertheireyes.Their
19、headsaresaidtobepointedontopandtheireyesaredeeplysunkenandreddish.Theirlight-coloredfacesarewithouthair,wearetold,andnotatallpretty,exceptperhapstoanotherYeti.Theydonothavetails.Thefeet,likemostofthebody,arecoveredwithhair.WhenanEverestexpeditionwasfarupthemountainin1921,theirTibetanporterstoldthema
20、boutthefoodhabitsoftheYeti.Thesestrangecreatures,accordingtolocallegend,eatyaksandpeople.Thereseemslittleevidencetosupportthisstatement.Strangely,someTibetanpeoplealsobelievethattheYetihasitsfeetonbackward.Thereasonforthishasneverbeenfullyexplored.MaybeaYeticangetturnedaroundlikeanybodyelse.Chancesa
21、reexcellentthatthefartheronelivesfromthelandoftheYeti,theeasieritistomakefunofstoriesabouttheselegendarycreatures.TravelershavelongnoticedthatgroupsofpeoplelivinginTibetandNepalsuddenlybecomequietanddeeplytroubledwhenthesubjectisbroughtup.OneexpeditionofRussianscientiststhatsetoffthefindtheYetdecide
22、dthatthecreaturesdo,infact,exist.Accordingtotheofficialreport,manytribes-peoplehavemetthecreature.Theyspeakofitasananimalmovingontwolegs,withbrownshinyfurandlonghaironitshead.Itsfacelookslikebothapeandhuman.Huntersoftenfindremnantsofitsfood,forexample,bitsofrabbits.Butaccordingtothem,theYetialsoeats
23、plantroots.Meanwhile,allwhostudytheevidencemusteventuallyconsiderthestrangeunidentifiedscalpownedbythemonksinamonasteryfarupintheHimalayasneartheborderbetweenNepalandTibet.Ifavisitorcomes,themonksmaybringoutanddisplaythepatchofhair.Theyhavehaditintheirpossessionforperhapsthreehundredyears.Askthemonk
24、swhatitisandyougetabriefanswer:ItisthescalpofaYeti.nHowtheyobtaineditfromtheYetiisnotrecorded.Itisshapedlikeascalporhat.Unlikeahat,ithasnoseamsandhasneverbeensewed.Onevisitor,yearsago,managedtoremoveafewofthebrownhairsfromthescalp.TheyweresenttoNewJerseytobestudiedbyaprofessorwhowasanauthorityonhair
25、Butthescientistcouldnotidentifyit.Heknewofnootherhairwithwhichitwouldmatch.WhatshouldyoudoityoumeetaYeti?Thecreatureis,afterall,experiencedingettingaroundtheruggedsnowboundcountry,andcanleapoverboulderswiththeagilityofagazelle.Thebestdefense,accordingtooneregionalstory,istoquicklygatherupasmanyrock
26、sasyoucan.Thentossthesetreasurestothecreatureoneatatime.Withconsiderableskill,theYetiwillreachoutandcatchtheobjectssoonbotharmsarefilled.AtthatpointtheYetiseemsnottoknowquitewhattodo.Itisgoodatcatchingbutreluctanttodropanyofthenewlyacquiredprizes,soitjuststandsthereburdeneddownwithrockswhileyourunaw
27、aydownthemountainside.Perhaps,withgreaterexposuretotheYeti,peoplewillsomedayworkoutabetterdefense.Thereis,ofcurse,muchevidencethattheYetiwantonlytostayawayfrompeople.Theyvanishintothebrushorbehindrocks.Theyprefertostayatelevationsfarabovepeopleandusuallyatleasttwomilesabovesealevel.Explorers,besides
28、Norwegianswithlassos,havelongdreamedofcapturingaYeti.Butthoughthesemaybehumanlikecreatures,assomeseriouslybelieve,wehaveeveryreasontosuspectthattheywantnopartofourcivilization.Theybelongtothevast,windsweptmountainslopes.Thereintheruggedsnowfields,theygorightonleavingtheirstrangetracks.Thosewhofindthemcomedownthemountainwithanewsenseofwonder.PerhapsupthereinthehighHimalayas,themountainclimberisnotreallyasmuchaloneasheorshehadthought.
