2o8 In the Heart of Africa 



tain, furrowing deep channels in the ground, and turning the 

 soil into ankle-deep mud which, of course, is carried by us in 

 cakes into our tents. Nothing dries ; clothes and boots will need 

 several days to get right again, and will even then have to be 

 drawn on damp. The men are freezing. Our baggage is being 

 damaged, the photographic apparatus especially. Our guns 

 have to be submitted to a permanent oil bath, so as not to rust 

 entirely, and to be ready for use. The zoological and botanical 

 collections are in a bad way. As they cannot dry, they are 

 easily exposed to the danger of rotting. With a heavy heart 

 we have thrown away many a bird skin, many a plant specimen 

 which have become worthless. The temperature is cool — 15 deg. 

 C. both yesterday and to-day. These are the afflictions of the 

 rainy season, which, for the second time already, we are 

 tasting." 



At Muera's village the two biologists parted from us, as they 

 I will here set down some general remarks concerning the geology 

 of Ruwenzori, which are culled almost verbatim from the Duke 

 d'Abruzzi's book. Our geologist, Kirschstein, was not privileged 

 to visit this mountain range. Ruwenzori stands, so to speak, like 

 a mighty projecting corner tower in the wall of the eastern border 

 of the Central African rift- valley. It is certain that Ruwen- 

 zori is not a volcano, as was assumed by Stanley. It is a serrated 

 range, consisting of gneiss as well as micaceous slate. Begin- 

 ning at an altitude of some 4,000 metres, its highest summits 

 are mostly formed of aphanite. In this respect it differs from 

 all other mountains in Equatorial Africa, which tower up to 

 Alpine heights. With the exception of the Aberdare Chain, 

 which rises to a height of 4,270 metres, they are all volcanoes — 

 Kilimandscharo 6,010, Meru 4,730, Kenia 5,600, Elgon 4,230, 

 the Kiwu volcanoes 4,500 metres, and the Cameroon mountains 

 4,070 metres. As far as snowfields and glaciers are concerned, 

 there is nothing in the whole of Africa which can compare with 

 Ruwenzori. Six summits of the whole group, which have been 

 named by the Duke d'Abruzzi after celebrated Central African 

 explorers, are covered with perpetual snow. From north to south 



