Exploration of Mt. Speke and Mt. Emin. 



confidence in their leaders, and followed them with, a better 

 will. The guides helped them at all the difficult points and 

 the caravan was once more in good spirits. . At the toot 

 of this gully they again entered the senecio forest, through 

 which they descended by a gentler slope obliquely towards 

 the bottom of the valley, where they found a treeless, marshy 

 tract (12,904 feet). This they reached after two and a-half 

 hours' march, crossing the torrent above Lake Bujuku, The 

 usual obstinate fog enveloped the whole valley. 



From this point they began to ascend by a moderate slope 

 directly towards the southern face of Mt. Speke. About 

 300 feet higher up, they came across a néve formed by 

 avalanches at the foot of the rock wall, which was covered 

 above by a glacier broken up into séracs, and, as it were, 

 suspended over the valley. Skirting round the néve to the 

 left they continued to ascend, directing their steps to a point 

 where the south-west ridge of Mt. Speke joins Stuhlmann's 

 Col to the north of a rocky spur clearly visible in the middle 

 of the col. The last bit of way at the foot of the perpendicular 

 cliff, overhung by the terminal séracs of the glacier, is exposed 

 to the danger of stones falling from above. The ascent is 

 easy but fatiguing on account of the slippery rocks covered 

 with moss. 



By the time they reached the watershed, a fine warm sun 

 had dissipated the fog, and they stopped for a while to enjoy 

 the fine view over the upper amphitheatre of the Bujuku 

 Valley. It is completely surrounded by precipitous cliffs. 

 Only under Margherita and Alexandra Peaks the gentler slope 

 allows the glacier to descend to a lower level, but all the rest 

 of the circle of glaciers stops short at the brow of the cliffs. 

 Now and then the roar ot the avalanches of séracs may be 



233 



