The Eastern Congo 



necessitating a wait of many hours to obtain sufficient illu- 

 mination for good photography. About midday the sun began 

 to show himself and I was able to obtain, for the first time, an 

 uninterrupted view down into the near valley, at the foot of 

 Mount Stanley and across the larger one that separates the 

 Baker range from that of the Margherita and Stanley peaks. 



That morning I had again crossed the moor but by a 

 shorter route, and stood on a lower ledge of the narrow and 

 precipitous valley of the Kamsonsa that I had reached the 

 afternoon before. Here I descried, for the first time, buried 

 in the depths of the valley, a very gem of a lake, the glaciers 

 feeding its black and mysterious waters being mirrored on 

 its motionless surface ; a lake which is held in great reverence, 

 so I am told, by the local hillmen. 



After an early breakfast that morning, I had sent the 

 carriers down to the Big Tent encampment with my camp- 

 kit, keeping with me three guides and two porters. 



At this altitude of over thirteen thousand feet these 

 men were all affected with mountain sickness, three badly 

 so, in the rarified morning air. One of the local guides, 

 a strapping big fellow, was affected to such an extent that 

 he could only get his breath in gasps, and being on this 

 account quite useless I sent him down the mountain after 

 the other porters. I, myself, felt this difficulty of breathing, 

 but much less than the natives and for a time I was compelled 

 to carry my heavy kine-camera, as they appeared to be 

 unable to do so. After using up the greater part of my cine- 

 matograph film and exposing a number of plates on the snow- 

 peaks and the surrounding alpine flora, I was able to give 

 further attention to my surroundings which were of the 

 utmost interest. 



142 



