Chapter II. 



vear, it seemed that one single rainy season reigned supreme 

 amono- the mountains without any break of fair weather. 



MOMBASA — rOKT KUJXDIXI. 



The fact is that the great mountain range, rising Hke an 

 island from the vast marsliy plains of Uganda and the 

 boundless forest of the Cono-o, becomes a centre of attraction 

 f(jr the mass of vapours sucked up by the tropical sun, which, 

 condensing around tlie frozen peaks, form a permanent veil of fog 

 and cloud. Thus it has come about that many a traveller has 

 spent months and niontlis in tlie imiiiodiate neighbourhood 

 of the chain Axithout once haNini-' siiiht of tht- |)eaks, or, at 

 best, fugitive glimpses only. 



Stairs and Stuhhiiaiiii in June and David in April appear to 

 liavf found climatic con(htions slightlv more tolerable than the 

 otli«M- t'.xplurers. WoUaston, however, had very bad luck in 

 April. Sir Hem-y Stanley writes in May that he saw tlie snow 



