HUGE GLACIER, 115 



At an early hour on the day following, we mounted our 

 horses to complete the ascent. The first part of the way 

 was through a pine forest, but soon this was left behind, 

 and we came to a rocky path where the progress was very 

 difficult. Signs of a glacier in the vicinity were soon seen, for 

 on either side of us were large moraines. Just before we 

 reached the snow line the horses were left, and we con- 

 tinued on foot.' Our path now ran along the crest of a ridge 

 of lava jutting out from the mountain. On either side of 

 us was a ravine, with a stream running down from the snow 

 above. Very soon we came to the snow line, which was 

 found to be a huge glacier, its surface quite smooth, and 

 both difficult and dangerous to walk over. In various 

 places there were glacial tables formed by the ice melting 

 beneath a large stone, and leaving the latter suspended in 

 mid air on a small pyramid of ice. These tables were con- 

 tinually falling over and being formed again. On every 

 side deep fissures were seen cutting across the mountain in 

 almost every direction. 



The whole mountain was seen to be covered with a 

 vast field of ice some 50 to 100 feet in depth, completely 

 shrouding the summit. Across this we nov^ directed our 

 steps in a zig-zag course, to avoid the deep barraticas (cre- 

 vasses). In many places the guides (but two of them made 

 the ascent over the snow-fields with us) were obliged to 

 cut steps for our feet. As we had experienced no difficulty 

 on any of the other mountains from slipping, we had not 

 brought foot swaths with us, and we now found that 

 th^.y would have lessened the danger to a great extent. 



As we ascended higher the danger became more and 

 more apparent, and in many places we climbed up with our 

 faces almost touching ihe ice. Several bad slips were made, 

 but we reached a point some seventy-five yards from the 

 summit in safety. Here we found ourselves blocked by 



