In the Volcanic Region 113 



himself to us, knew his business and conducted us to a spot 

 where other tents had stood before ours. Since the first ascent 

 of Ninagongo by Count Gotzen in the year 1894, Kissubi's 

 services have often been requisitioned. The proximity of the 

 military post of Kissenji on German, and of Ngoma and 

 Bobandana on Congolese, territory has brought about a relatively 

 frequent ascent of the mountain. 



The principal peak soars up in strong relief against the 

 cloudless heavens, blunted at the top and typically conical in 

 character, and is flanked on the north and south by lower-lying 

 craters. Whilst the northern and southern craters have long 

 been extinct, and are wooded to the top, the main middle cone 

 gives unmistakable appearance of activity. The vegetation does 

 not reach quite up to the summit, while beyond is barren lava 

 and ashes, which in the course of time has developed into 

 calcareous tufa. 



The ascent was carried out with a limited number of carriers 

 only. The little caravan toiled slowly along the narrow paths 

 and through a growth of vegetation, which Captain Herrmann 

 has termed virgin bush forest. It consists of a thicket of shrubs 

 and trees of medium height, and is in places almost impenetrable. 

 The lower part is dominated by a growth of even-branched 

 acanthus bushes, about six metres in height, bearing large, soft 

 leaves, belonging, perhaps, to the genus Mellera. Further up 

 Mildbraed observed a small bush-like draccena appear very 

 frequently. Great trees with tall trunks grew isolated here 

 and there. 



After passing the forest we reached a region of cammock. 

 A mass of bushes and shrubs, hardly the height of a man, with 

 rod-shaped branches, grow crowded together. The very uniform 

 style of this rod-like growth creates a somewhat monotonous 

 impression, in spite of the wealth of species met with. It is 

 worthy of mention, as Mildbraed points out, that here the heaths 

 do not play so important a part as usual in African brushwood. 

 On the lower line of the region Erica arborea are found, and on 

 the upper Philippia Johnstonii ; but the greater portion of the 



