32 Expedition of 1906 



flora was monotonous and at first we found but few interesting 

 plants. Ferns and grasses occurred everywhere ; rarely were our 

 eyes gladdened by the stately inflorescence of some tall orchids of 

 grass-like habit growing in the ground, Arundina speciosa, 

 Spathoglottis plicata, Phajm or CyrnMdiwm and yellow-flowering 

 Composites. We were, however, sorely tried by the representatives 

 of the new fauna of Krakatau. In the lower Casuarina forest 

 swarms of gnats flew about us and in collecting Pandanus fruits 

 we disturbed small and dangerous wasps. Here on the higher 

 slopes we found ourselves in the domain of a host of red and black, 

 large and small ants. Their nests were partly hidden in a layer, 

 1 metre thick, of decaying roots, broken and withered reeds and 

 grasses, some of them hanging like nests on the shrubs and grass 

 bushes. These small pests fall from their nests in showers on the 

 intruders. 



We were still separated from our goal by many ridges always 

 increasing in steepness and by deep ravines. Scorched by the 

 burning rays of a vertical sun, we took turns, at the head of our small 

 party, in handling the knife and cut our way step by step now up 

 now down through the shadeless thicket. Our servants and carriers 

 were barely able to keep up with us with the necessary luggage and 

 the plant cases. At last Ave were reluctantly compelled to admit 

 that with our primitive equipment and in the short time at our 

 disposal it was impossible to reach the main gorge and the peak. 

 In addition to the difficulties of the ascent due to the nature of 

 the ground, we were confronted by a further difficulty presented 

 by the thick growth of vegetation which afforded neither rest nor 

 shade, so that our efforts, like those of the members of the earlier 

 expeditions of 1886 and 1897, were not crowned with success. It 

 may perhaps be possible for members of a fourth expedition pro- 

 vided with a complete mountaineering and tropical outfit and with 

 several days at their disposal to complete the investigation of the 

 Krakatau flora ; but meanwhile the ascent of the cone and the 

 examination of its unexplored plant-world are still to be accomp- 

 lished. 



We retraced our steps ; by midday we had reached the ship 

 which steamed at a short distance from the land along the east and 

 north coasts of the island. The appearance of the coast rapidly 

 changed. The level shore passes into a steep beach terminated 

 above by the fissured spurs of the mountain like those which Ave had 

 just attempted to scale. The north side with its almost vertical face, 

 800 metres high, Avas an imposing sight. It showed the peculiar 

 course of the variously coloured strata and veins, and afforded in an 



