224 



"The third day they spent fighting the thickets and jungles of 

 the high Sierra without being able to reach the southern spur of 

 the Pico Turquino. On the fourth day they succeeded and 

 found that its altitude is about 1,750 meters (5,933 ft.) a point 

 where there was a sudden descent to the south a veritable 

 precipice. Here they had to turn back on account of scarcity of 

 provisions and lived on the return trip on ' Jutias' and wild honey. 



"On returning to Nagiia, Dr. Ekman was joined by his friend 

 Mr. Y. A. Mystroem, of Bayate, and on the 14th of April started 

 again for a second ascent of the peak, with an abundance of 

 provisions. In three days by using the trail they had cut 10 

 days before, they were able to reach the base of the peak, and the 

 fourth day at 4 P.M. on April 17th they reached the summit. 



"The vegetation of the summit is sparse, composed of low 

 bushes and trees, representing few species but a veritable paradise 

 of ferns and mosses. On the southern slopes toward the sea, 

 the vegetation is very dense, with low shrubby -plants so inter- 

 laced that it is possible to walk over the summit without touching 

 the ground. There is no doubt that the ascent from the south 

 is impossible at this point, on account of this low dense vegetation. 



While Dr. Ekman searched for plants, his companions searched 

 for traces of any previous explorers. They found a few old pieces 

 of charcoal well hidden, which may have been made by Enrique 

 Mesa in his flight, because in one of his poems, sings of his 

 adventures among the 'Waters of the Turquino.' Perhaps he 

 ascended the peak in order to look for the ship that was to carry 

 him away.* They found no other signs of human visitation 

 except these few pieces of charcoal. They made a large fire 

 to announce to their friends in the valley that they were on the 

 summit. They slept up there and suffered much from cold. 

 They left their signatures up there in an empty bottle (of Ron 

 Bacardi) which they placed in a pile of stones. They were able 

 to determine the altitude of the Pico Turquino as 6,800 ft., 

 though it had been previously estimated at over 8,000 feet. 

 The barometer recorded 2,040 meters! 



"Taking advantage of an unknown and unnamed region, they 



* This was in 1898, during the Spanish- American War. 



