96 CLIMBING IN RUWENZORI 



to the glacier near the top of the ice-fall, where it 

 was necessary to cut a few steps among the seracs. 

 From the top of the ice-fall we made a wide detour 

 across the glacier to avoid the risk of an avalanche 

 from a little hanging glacier on our right — the 

 remains of recent avalanches were scattered all 

 about us — and thence an hour's walk up an easy 

 snow slope took us to the top of the ridge and the 

 rock, which Herr Grauer had named King Edward's 

 Rock (14,813 feet).* Meantime the clouds, which 

 had been drifting about the peaks as we ascended, 

 settled down in a thick pall, and by the time that 

 we gained the ridge we were unable to see fifty 

 yards in any direction. Our predecessors had sup- 

 posed that they had reached the watershed at that 

 point, and, seeing nothing ourselves, we saw no 

 reason to doubt the fact. It was discovered sub- 

 sequently that it was not the watershed, but only 

 a ridge connecting a big Eastern buttress with the 

 main chain. A momentary glimpse through the 

 clouds that day would have solved many questions ; 

 but though we stayed and shivered for two hours in 

 a bitter north wind, our patience was wasted and 

 our labour in vain. The camera and a dozen un- 

 exposed plates seemed to grow unduly heavy before 

 we reached camp that night, and I confess to having 

 thought with longing and regret of a certain cheerful 

 guide, who loves to relieve ' monsieur ' of his super- 

 fluous baggage towards the end of a long day. 

 * Now named * Grauer's Rock 



