Chapter VI. 



A cold wind was blowing and the porters rushed to find 

 shelter. The height was 14,193 feet above the sea-level. 

 They were above the zone of trees, and there were only mosses, 

 lichens and clumps of everlasting flowers. 



The wind drove the fog hither and thither, opening up 

 glimpses of the country now in one direction, now in another. 

 To the north of the col rose the southern ridge of Kiyanja, wide, 

 rounded, and covered on the top by a glacier which falls over 

 to the right and left on the two slojDes, and which must have once 

 come down so as to cover the entire col. The traces are clear on 

 the polished and lined rocks. Southward stands the group of 

 rocky peaks wliich H.K.H. had already observed from the 

 summit of Kiyanja. Here they saw two small glaciers which 

 fill two cols, while a third between them is rocky and free from 

 ice. Four peaks form these cols ; the westernmost and furthest 

 oif appeared to be the highest. 



At the foot of these peaks, between them and a spur of 

 Kiyanja, lies a valley which slopes down due west. Beyond 

 this spur they caught sight of the light reflected on two tiny 

 lakes, which lie at the bottom of another valley running from 

 north to south, starting from the col between Kivanja and the 

 central group. 



It was this col ^^■hich the Duke wished to reach and to make 

 his base for attaining to the highest peaks. While he carefully 

 noted down every detail of the country which was visible, 

 taking advantage of the rifts in the moving mists, a guide went 

 forward to find out whether it might not be possible to skirt tlie 

 western slopes of Kiyanja without descending to the bottom of 

 the valley, whicli would then necessitate reascending to the 

 farther col. The guide now came l)ack and brought neAvs that 

 it would not be possiV)le to skirt the mountain because its side 



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