The Mountaineer 4% 
but awful power. Time was no object. The result would be 
accomplished just the same. No hurry, but forever and ever 
and ever boiling. On no fickle substance like water did it waste 
its energy, but concentrated its action on ponderous adaman- 
tine masses which took the power and heat of all the under- 
worlds to melt. The mighty cupola spit and sputtered in a 
dignified manner, knowing that it had unmeasured forces be- 
hind it and that it was doing the irresistible will of the Fire 
Gods. We could not see the bottom on account of the steam 
which rose continually from the unknown depths, but we did 
see down about 500 feet. The perpendicular rocks were such 
as we had never seen before 
though we will probably see 
them as long »s we live, so vivid was the impression. They 
were nauseating and infernal, a yellowish, sulphur-green, 
roasted and grilled, baked and fried and toasted by the intense, 
heat, and at some time had been cooked and boiled and par- 
boiled in living red-hot lava. Everywhere we went we encoun- 
tered sulphuretted steam, awesome radiating rock-crevasses, 
warm rocks and areas so hot as to burn our shoes. 
As we looked from the apex of the great cone, whole 
provinces in quiet grandeur unfolded before our delighted 
eyes. To the northeast was the verdureless, white Shirane 
San, an extinct voleano, and Nantai San, which I had 
climbed the year previous, shapely and verdure-clad. North, 
west, and south were great ranges and peaks, while away in the 
far south the peerless, graceful, magnificent Fuji appeared 
easily distinguishable, though over a full 100 miles distant. 
It towered 12,365 feet above the ocean, which almost washed 
its base. I have climbed it twice. In the east was the great 
Musashi plain stretching away to the mighty Pacific. Quiet 
rivers ran through it, villages and cities dotted it, clumps of 
straight, tall cryptomeria hid the inevitable shrine, and dainty 
bamboo groves showed themselves in favored places as islands 
in a sea of rich green, waving rice. Above all the noise and 
strife of the world we felt the peacefulness of the great silences 
and distances pervading us. 
We wandered all over the summit, filled our hearts with 
delight at the beautiful panorama lying in every direction, and 
wondered at the proofs of power continually before us. Thus 
talking, wondering, enjoying, investigating, we finally reached 
the rock-crevasse just at dusk where we had left our dunnage 
