224 Voyage of the Novara. 



tlie ascent of the Gedeh. Of this interesting excursion, Dr. 

 Hochstetter gives the following interesting details: — 



^' A short distance before reaching the station of Kandung 

 Badak, the path leaves the road by which we had come thus 

 far. Here we had to clamber upwards as best we might, 

 by a narrow path densely overgrown, and evidently but 

 rarely traversed, till presently we emerged from the forest 

 upon a tract of loose stone and scoriae, which, sparsely 

 covered with low bushes and grass, forms the upper portion 

 of the peak of Gedeh. A strong odour of sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen greeted us here, issuing from a Solfatara, which nestled 

 under the true crater in a deep savage cleft of rock. Hot 

 sulphureous and watery vapours were emitted from among 

 the dark crannies of the rock, the upper edges of which were 

 coloured yellow with pure sulphur : with much difficulty we 

 still pressed on, and finally reached the edge of the ruined 

 crater. What a contrast presented itself here in the view 

 before us and the landscape behind ! 



^' Behind we could see from base to summit clear and un- 

 broken the beautiful luxuriantly-green well- wooded peak of 

 Pangerango, on whose highest point stood out near and 

 distinct the trigonometrical pole, or land-mark, while from 

 the forest was heard an occasional musket-shot, sure sign 

 that the company of travellers from the ship were on their 

 way down. On the other hand, when we cast our eyes for- 

 ward we saw but dismal desolate groups of grey rock, 

 around the lofty amphitheatre-shaped rock wall of the 



