8 MR. G. MANN’S EXPEDITION 
in paper, I was obliged to go to bed. On Christmas Day l was 
worse, and quite unable to do anything. Mr. Saker left us on 
that day, promising to return in eight or ten days. On the 27th, 
Consul Burton and Signor Calvo left in search of a suitable place 
where water might be provided for an excursion to the summit. 
When they returned in the evening, I learned that Consul Burton 
had found time to ascend Mount Victoria; he had unfortunately, 
however, so injured his foot that he was prevented leaving our 
encampment for the next four weeks. Until the 30th I was 
equally unable to move; but on that day 1 took a stroll, which I 
repeated on the two following days. 
On the 2nd of January, 1862, I felt so well that I set out with 
Signor Calvo on my first excursion to the summit. We reached 
Mount Helen shortly after noon, and, after a short rest, directed 
our steps towards the next high mountain, named by Consul 
Burton “Mount Isabel.” This we reached about 2 r.w.; and 
while our people prepared a sleeping-place in the crater, we set 
off to the summit, whence we enjoyed a magnificent view over that 
part of the range which we had just passed, while in the opposite 
direction rose Mounts Victoria and Albert, with a number of 
small hills in front, the formation of which must be ascribed to 
an earlier period, as the lava-field which surrounded them was 
formed by eruption from Mount Victoria and Mount Albert. 
The highest peak of the smaller hills I took the liberty of naming 
Mount Hooker. On the field which we traversed this day, the few 
plants which might be termed arborescent were Leucothoé angus- 
tifolia and Myrica salicifolia, Hochst., which reached a height of 
20 feet, but only grew scattered in hollows or craters. Hypericum 
angustifolium only occurred as a shrub, not above 6 or 8 feet high. 
Cytisus Mannii was in full splendour, quite covered with flowers, 
and formed very pretty little trees with round tops. Helichrysum 
fetidum grew in every direction, and H. Hochstetteri peeped out 
of all the hollows, while Wahlenbergie rose everywhere above the 
surface of the grass. Scabiosa succisa was here only found on the 
west side of Mount Isabel. Another small plant, Umbilicus pen- 
dulinus, grew on the lava-fields. On the following day we left the 
crater (alt. 10,746 ft.) at 7 a.m., and went round the west side of 
Mount Hooker; and on the north side, at its base, we found a 
suitable place to pass the next night. After an hour’s rest, we 
climbed to the summit of Mount Albert, which we accomplished 
in less than four hours. This western side of the mountain was 
quite naked, consisting only of ashes, in which one frequently sank 
