A CAMP IN A CRATER. 193 



eastern wall of the cave. By my direction, he cut 

 four small trees having crotches at the tops, and planted 

 them in the ground with their crotched parts meeting, 

 where I lashed them together, one pair at either side 

 of the cave. Across these I laid a pole the length of 

 the cave, and secured it firmly with lines, thus forming 

 a secure framework, to which I swung my hammock. 

 Over the pole, sheltering the hammock, was stretched 

 a square of canvas eight feet across, with each corner 

 fastened to pegs in the ground. Thus was I provided 

 with bed and shelter within half an hour from the 

 time we reached the cave. A pair of army blankets 

 to cover me, and a coat for a pillow, made a bed so 

 soft and tempting that I could scarcely wait for the 

 water to boil for the coffee ; and after a lunch of 

 sardines and crackers we turned into our respective 

 quarters. 



Toby, my only companion, deserves especial notice, 

 for, though he did not conduct himself throughout our 

 stay on the mountain-top with that courage and 

 equanimity so desirable in an explorer, or the com- 

 panion of one, still he was the only human being 

 who accompanied me through it all. To begin with, 

 he was black : if a bottle of ink had been emptied 

 over him he could not have been blacker, it would 

 have been only a waste of ink. And his eyes were 

 white — that is, the whites of them ; and whether 

 the contrast between them and his skin was owing 

 to the whiteness of one and the blackness of the 

 other, or to the sootiness of the other and the chalki- 

 ness of the one, I could not determine. His nose was 

 broad ; to say that it was as broad as it was long 

 . would be confusion to one's ideas of length and 



