182 RUWENZOIM AND ITS SNOWS 



finely — not iu heavy drops — but every day. Eain often turns to hail, 

 sleet, or snow at 13,000 feet. 



From Bihunga, the last permanent habitation of man in the Mubuko 

 Valley (the exact altitude of which was 6,858 feet*), we ascended along a 

 native path to a camping-place underneath a huge rock at the head of the 

 left branch of the Mubuko Valley. The altitude here by boiling-point was 

 9,762 feet.f This was the first of the extraordinary series of rock shelters 

 which served as camping-places to Europeans and natives ascending the 

 mountain by means of the Mubuko A'alley. The camping-])laces consist 

 of small areas of absolutely dry soil under an over-reaching cliff of micaceous 

 rock. Two yards, three yards, four yards away from the shelter of the 

 overhanging ledge the ground is an impassable bog. Immediately under 

 the arch it is bone-dry. However convenient, I doubt if there is permanent 

 safety under these rock shelters, since it would seem as though from time 

 to time fragments of micaceous rocks detaclied themselves from the over- 

 hanging roof. Ill this way these cliff's are probably crumbling away by 

 degrees at their base, infiltration of water from the bogs al)ove no doubt 

 being the cause. From tliis second camp, which was called by the natives 

 Kichuchu, we had a most arduous climb, sometimes dragging our bodies 

 up the bed of a small torrent, and being nearly drowned in the process. 

 For miles we walked, as I liave already said, along slip[)ery tree-trunks, 

 often unable to see through the crevices any solid ground beneath us. 



At length we reached the edge of the upper valley of the Mubuko 

 River, and found for a couple of miles or more a charming tract of flat 

 country like a beautiful swampy garden. Here, too, we found the largest 

 of these rock-camps under huge, overhanging cliffs. This other camp was 

 called by the natives Buamba, which really means " up above," ''the height" 

 par excellence. The altitude of Baauiba camp was 11,447 feet.t The 

 next day we climbed for a little under two hours, and reached the last of 

 the rock shelters at an altitude of about 12,500 feet. From or near here 

 we obtained suddenly a splendid view of the snows of Euwenzori. Looking 

 up the main Mubuko Valley, we saw a fine panorama of snow-fields and 

 glaciers ; but westwards appeared to be the highest point of Euwenzori, a 

 huge black knob rising out of the snow-fields of unruffled purity and dazzling 

 white. P>om the last of the rock shelters we directed our steps towards 

 where the ascent of the snow-range seemed most practicable, namely, the 

 3Iubuko glacier. The altitude of the base of this glacier was 13,191 

 feet.§ We found it was impossible to climb higher in this direction 



* Water boiled at 200' 1' Fahr. ; temperature, 58°. 



t Water boiled at IQo'l" Fahr. ; temperature, 52°. 



X Water boiled at 192'2' Fahr. ; temperature, 47°. 



§ Water boiled at 189'3^ Fahr. ; temperature, 47°. 



