VISIT TO THE VOLCANOES. 65 



beyond those, in the middle distance, the jungle, or rather 

 forest, which climbs up almost to the summit of the Tengger 

 mountains, whose steep sides shut out all beyond, as a wall. 

 At one end, as it were, of this, rises this great volcano with 

 its summit puffing out a light cotton-like vapour, and half way 

 down its precipices fleecy clouds were floating. The whole 

 scene was most enchanting, far beyond my powers of 

 description. 



Immediately after leaving the village we began to 

 ascend ; for the first mile or two the view of the country 

 below us was very beautiful, we could see Pooza and the 

 island in front of it very distinctly. We then entered the thick 

 forest ; in many places we passed through gigantic ferns with 

 the stems of the trees covered with a beautiful fine moss, the 

 path and all the ground around carpeted with various coloured 

 flowers. After a considerable ascent during which we were 

 obliged to get off our ponies and walk through some stunted 

 jungle amongst which strawberries and raspberries were 

 growing in the greatest profusion, we came out on to open 

 downs covered with ferns and long grass with here and there 

 a pretty clump of trees. The buffaloes and horses grazing 

 about indicated that we were approaching the village where 

 we intended to bivouack for the night. The cold bracing air, 

 the sight of the dog rose, blackberry and thistle growing on 

 each side of the road, together with the fern-clad hills, made 

 the eleven thousand miles vanish as it were as by the touch 

 of a magician's hand, and I fancied I was again in my own 

 dear native land. A little further on a turn of the road . 

 brought us suddenly in sight of a pretty little mountain 

 village snugly sheltered in a dell below us, backed by 

 gardens and picturesque clumps of trees. On nearer ap- 



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