THE BAXDA GROUP. ;;,S:; 



ing is easy though arduous. Above the limit of the hushes there 

 are steep slopes of loose stones, wearying to climb and constantly 

 falling. Above these, again, the surface of the cone is hard, the 

 fine ashes and lava fragments of which it is composed, bein^ 

 cemented together so as to form a hard crust. This is roughened 

 by the projection of fragments, but still smooth enough to require 

 some care in the placing of the feet to men wearing boots. The 

 Malay guides with naked feet stood with ease upon it anywhere. 



The inclination of the slope is about 33° ; and to a man who 

 easily becomes giddy no doubt would be rather formidable in 

 descent. An American traveller, who had probably never been 

 up any other mountain before he ascended the Banda Volcano, 

 has written a most appalling account of the danger which he 

 encountered in descending. To a man with an ordinarily good 

 head there are no difficulties in the ascent or descent. 



At the summit the fragments of basaltic rock were under- 

 going slow decomposition under the action of heated vapours 

 issuing in all directions from amongst them, and were softened 

 and turned white, like chalk. Any of these fragments when 

 broken showed part of their mass still black and unaltered, 

 and the remainder white ; the decomposition not having reached 

 as yet through the whole. 



Jets of hot steam issued in many places from fissures. Around 

 the mouths of these were growing gelatinous masses formed 

 by lowly organized algae closely similar in appearance to those 

 found growing around the mouths of hot springs in the Azores.* 

 Here, however, there was no water issuing, the only moisture 

 being supplied by the condensation of the steam. There was 

 no accumulation of water, but drops of moisture hung on the 

 sides of the fissures. 



In some places the gelatinous algse, and a white mineral 

 incrustation, formed alternate layers coating the mouths of the 

 fissures. The steam on issuing within the fissure had a tem- 

 perature of 250° F. ; and where the crust of algas was flourishing 

 the thermometer showed 140° F. The steam had a strongly 

 acid and sulphurous smell. 



On the summit of the mountain, where the ground is cool, a 



* See page 36. 



