In the Volcanic Region 151 



simply endless dimensions. Then a strong rush of brownish ex- 

 halations mingled with the gleaming white. A broad fiery stream 

 shot up suddenly into the air . . . then followed a second . . . 

 a third. ... It was as if gigantic hands were incessantly and 

 indefatigably hurling up untold bucketfuls of glowing ashes 

 from the deep throat of the crater to the light of day. Simul- 

 taneously a dense lapilli shower descended from the eruptive 

 cloud. A rain of finest scoria, cooling rapidly in the air, was 

 swept by the east wind that prevailed over many kilometres of 

 the western edge of the Central African rift-valley. In the mean- 

 while the pine cone, which had previously gleamed white, 

 assumed a deep black colour in its lower part. The uppermost 

 parts of the cloud masses, lying towering over one another like 

 tremendous balls of cotton wool, alone retained their whiteness. 

 . . . After about an hour the vehemence of the outburst abated 

 appreciably. The rain of lapilli ceased. Singular exhalations 

 shot up in the eruptive cloud, which had now turned pure white 

 again but was much less distinct in form, and were accompanied 

 by sharp detonations. The roaring in the depths swelled with 

 a rattling noise as of hundreds of hammers forming one power- 

 ful chord, but it lasted only a few seconds, and then sank away 

 again to a steady, hardly perceptible murmur, and finally ceased. 

 In another half -hour all was over, and Namlagira lay reposing 

 peacefully before our eyes. Only a faint cloud of smoke re- 

 mained hovering around the bare summit." 



Altogether Kirschstein observed eleven such violent gaseous 

 and cinder eruptions of Namlagira, and he photographed the 

 greater number of them. He writes: "At night the eruptions 

 from the volcano presented a picture of thrilling beauty. The 

 columns of vapour, illuminated as if by a smelting furnace, shot 

 up from the broad mouth of the crater like pillars of fire to the 

 heavens, gleaming blood-red, and then fell down to earth again, 

 sparkling and scintillating in a glorious rain of glowing ashes. 

 It could be clearly perceived that the greater portion of the 

 volcanic sputum fell back again into the crater. It was so light 

 around that in the camp at the southern foot of the mountain 



