EXPLORING THE MOUNTAIN AND ITS GLACIERS, 1896 



Here on the mountain's brow, exposed to an almost 

 continuous gale, the rocks have been polished by drift- 

 ing snow crystals. The prevailing rounded form that 

 the stones present may be the result of weathering, 

 or possibly is due to the manner in which the fragments 

 were ejected from the volcano. My hasty examina- 

 tions suggested the former explanation. 



Descending into the crater, I discovered crevices 

 from which steam was escaping, and on placing my 

 hands on the rocks was rejoiced to find them hot. 

 My companions soon joined me, and we began the 

 exploration of the crater, our aim being to find the least 

 uncomfortable place in which to take refuge from the 

 freezing blast rather than to make scientific discoveries. 



The crater that we had entered is one of the smaller 

 and more recent ones in the truncated summit of the 

 peak, and is deeply filled with snow, but the rim is 

 bare and well defined. The steam and heat from the 

 rocks have melted out many caverns beneath the snow. 

 In one of these we found shelter. 



The cavern we chose in which to pass the night, 

 although irregular, was about 60 feet long by 40 wide, 

 and had an arched ceiling some 20 feet high. The snow 

 had been melted out from beneath, leaving a roof so 

 thin that a diffused blue light penetrated the chamber. 

 The floor sloped steeply, and on the side toward the 

 center of the crater there was a narrow space between 

 the rocks and the descending roof which led to unex- 

 plored depths. As a slide into this forbidding gulf would 

 have been exceedingly uncomfortable, if not serious, 

 our life line was stretched from crag to crag so as to 

 furnish a support and allow us to walk back and forth 

 during the night without danger of slipping. Three 

 arched openings or doorways communicated with other 

 chambers, and through these drafts of cold air were 

 continually blowing. The icy air chilled the vapor 

 rising from the warm rocks and filled the chamber with 

 steam which took on grotesque forms in the uncertain, 



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