Chapter YI. 



A cold wiud was blo^Yill^• and the porters rushed to iiiid 

 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 hitlier and thither, opening up 

 glimpses of the countrv 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 Iavo slopes, and which must have once 

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

 the polished and lined rocks. Southward stands the group of 

 locky peaks which H.R.H. had already observed from the 

 simamit of Kiyanja. Here they saw two small glaciers which 

 till two cols, while a third between them is rockv and free from 

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

 off" 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 sjjur they caught sight of the light reflected on two tiny 

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

 no]-th to south, starting from the col between Kiyanja and the 

 central group. 



It was this col wliicli 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 the 

 western slopes of Kiyanja without descending to the bottom of 

 the valley, which would then necessitate reascendrng: to the 

 farther col. The guide now came l)ack and Ijrought news that 

 it would not be possible to skirt tlie mountain because its side 



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