VOL. LXXV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 635 



times advancing and sometimes being obliged to return, lie arrived greatly ex- 

 hausted at the long desired object. 



As soon as we could see in the morning, proceeds Mr. A., we returned to the 

 ridge we left the night before, and began to work, with alacrity, as we were almost 

 chilled with cold. I pushed on as fast as possible, and about 10 o'clock, 

 found the woods began to get thin. I could not see the top of the mountain, 

 but had a view of several ridges that joined it. From the wind falling, and the 

 heat becoming intense, I thought we must then be under the cover of the sum- 

 mit : I here found many new plants. About 111 was overjoyed to have a full 

 view of the summit of the mountain, nearly a mile distant from us, and that we 

 were nearly out of the woody region. The top seemed to be composed of 6 or 7 

 different ridges, very much broken in the sides, as if they had suffered great con- 

 vulsions of nature ; they were divided by amazing deep ravins, without any water 

 in them. I observed where the ridges meet the edge of a large excavation, as it 

 seemed to be, on the highest part. I imagined this might be the mouth of the 

 crater, and directed my course to a high peak which overlooked it. I found here 

 a most beautiful tree which composed the last wood. After that I entered into a 

 thick long grass, intermixed with fern, which branched and ran in every direction. 

 To break it was impossible, and with great difficulty I could cut it ; so that in 

 clearing our way through this grass, 8 or 10 feet high, there was equal difficulty 

 as in the woods, and it seemed to continue very near to the top of the mountain. 

 Being now about noon, I and the negroes were so fatigued as hardly to be able to 

 stand ; our thirst very great, to allay which, as much as possible, we chewed the 

 leaves of the Begonia obliqua. Two of the negroes returned, and the others said 

 they would go no farther with me, as they'must perish for want of water, and it 

 would be impossible to get to the bottom before night, and they must all die in 

 the woods. The propriety of their reasoning was evident to me ; yet I thought 

 it hard, after the fatigues of 3 days and 2 nights, to be within half a mile of the 

 top, and not be able to get up, and to know little more about it than I did at the 

 bottom. As the negroes had not the same motive for going up as I, all my 

 reasoning was to them ineffectual ; I found I was obliged to return myself, as I 

 could not persist alone. At half past 12 we began to descend the same way we 

 came. As there was now a clear path all the way to the bottom, we got down to 

 Mr. Gasco's by sun-set. After sitting some time here, I was hardly able to rise 

 again, I was so tired ; and my feet were so sore I could hardly stand on them, 

 for, my shoes being torn to pieces, I came down the whole way bare-footed. I 

 continued my journey however down to Mr. Maloune's, where I arrived between 

 6 and 7 at night. 



March 4th, being the day I had fixer; to finish my excursion, about 4 in the 

 morning, I left the house of Mr. Frase •, who out of curiosity agreed to accom- 



4 m 2 



