Peaks of the Central Group. 



vauqviished. In a few minutes H.R.H. set foot mion the lii<^liest 

 peak of Ruwenzori. 



They emerged from the mist into splernhd dear sunlii;iit. 

 At their feet lav a sea of foi:-. An imnenetraljlp laver of li'dit 

 ashy-white cloud-drifts, stretcliini;- as far as the eve L-ould ivacli, 

 was drifting rapidly north-westward. From tlie immense 

 moving surface emerged two fixed points, two pine white jiraks 

 sparkling in the sun with their invriad snow crvstals. These 

 were the two extreme summits of the higliest peaks. 'I'he 

 Duke of the Al)r>izzi named these suimuits Maroherit.i and 

 Alexandra " in order that, inider tlie auspices of these two 

 royal ladies, the memory of the two nations mav lie lianded 

 down to po.sterity — of Italy, whose name was the first to 

 resound on these snows in a sliout of victory, and of England. 

 \\liicli in its marvellous colonial e.xpansion carries ci\'ilization 

 to tlie slopes of these remote mountains."* 



It was a thrillino' moment when the httle tiicoloui- tlao- 

 given hy H.M. Queen Margherita of Savov. unfurled to the 

 w^ind and sun the eml)roidered letters of its inspiring motto 

 " Ardisc.i e Spero " (Dare and Hope). 



The wind was hlowing up i-ather fresh from the soiitli-e;ist 

 A\itii a temperature of 2;3 4 F. (Calculations from the olj.serva- 

 tions taken gave a height of 1G.815 feet for Margherita Peak, 

 and 16,749 feet for Alexandra I'eak. It was now 1].:10 a.m. 

 They had taken about half an hour to get down from tlie first 

 peak to the col, and an liom' and ;i-h;ilf to chnih from the col to 

 Peak Margherita. Tliese hours were full <if inten.se excitement, 

 owing to their perpetual fear of setting the way hlorked hy 

 some insuperable obstacle. 



Margherita Peak is all covered with snow, and not a single 

 * Sei' " CTeographieal Journal," Fuliniary, I'.tOT, p. 138. 

 185 



