116 Prof. T. G. Bonney. On the [June 19, 



slopes of the mountain, where we encamped, on its west-north-west 

 side, at the height of 15,100 feet. Bad weather for two days pre- 

 vented the establishment of a camp upon the summit, but on Feb- 

 ruary 18, 1880, a tent was placed on the western side of the terminal 

 cone, on the outside, about 130 feet below the highest point. The 

 slope was entirely composed of ash, piled tip almost to the maximum 

 nngle at which it could repose, and it was necessary to cut deeply into 

 it to obtain a sufficiently secure platform. A maximum thermo- 

 meter placed on the floor of the tent rose to 110 F., and water boiled 

 at 179. The exterior temperature at the same time ranged from 15 

 to 20 F. 



" Our first (and lower) camp was made on the side of one of the 

 numerous lava* streams which are found on the west of the mountain, 

 and the tent was pitched upon beds of ash, which extended consider- 

 ably lower down than our position. The volcano, although in a state 

 of activity, was not in eruption. Explosions or violent noises were 

 frequently heard in the bowels of the mountain, resembling such 

 sounds as may be produced by slamming doors at the ends of long 

 passages in a large building. They caused scarcely any tremour. 

 On the way up, when about 1,500 feet below the summit, we were 

 incommoded by puffs of strongly sulphurous vapour, proceeding appa- 

 rently from fissures in the cone ; but when encamped upon the 

 summit, during a stay of twenty-six hours, we neither heard such 

 noises as those referred to, nor were we in any way inconvenienced 

 by the vapours proceeding from the crater. 



" Steam and smoke were continually issuing from the crater and 

 simmering over the edge, but we heard no extraordinarily loud noises, 

 and for some hours devoted our whole attention to firmly establishing 

 the tent, which was a matter of no little difficulty, owing to the 

 unstable nature of our platform and the high wind which prevailed. 

 The mountain, according to the general testimony of the natives in 

 the neighbourhood, had been unusually quiet for some time past. As 

 this calm might be interrupted at any moment, I directed my people 

 that, in the event of an eruption, everything was to be abandoned, 

 and each was to shift for himself as best he could. 



" When our tent was well secured, we went up to the edge of the 

 rim to inspect the interior. Little could be seen of it, even of the 

 part immediately underneath us. The rock of the rim was a compact 

 and very tough and heavy trachyte (a specimen is described below), 

 and the immediate summit of the rim was everywhere jagged and irre- 

 gular. Some points upon it rose 100 to 150 feet above the general 

 level. At no time during daylight on the 18th could we see all round 

 the rim at any one moment, but we made the circuit of about one- 



* This stream is called Yanasache. 



