CHAP. III. 



ON THE SUMMIT OF CHIMBORAZO. 



69 



said, '' AVheii you tell iis to turn we will go back ; until then we 

 will go on/" I said, '• Go on/' although by no means feeling sure 

 it would not be best to say '^' Go back." In another hour and a 

 half we got to the foot of the western summit, and, as the slopes 

 steepened, the snow became firmer again. We arrived on the top 

 of it about a quarter to four in the afternoon, and then had the 

 mortification of finding that it was the lower of the two. There 

 was no help for it ; we had to descend to the plateau, to resume 

 the flogging, wading, and floundering, and to make for the highest 

 point, and there again, when we got on to the dome, the snow was 

 reasonably firm, and we arrived upon the summit of Chimborazo 

 standing upright like men, instead of grovelling, as we had been 

 doing for the previous five hours, like beasts of the field. 



The wind blew hard from the north-east, and drove the 

 light snow before it viciously. We were hungry, wet, numbed, 

 and wretched, laden with instruments which could not be used. 

 With much trouble the mercurial barometer was set up ; one 

 man grasped the tripod to keep it firm, while the other stood to 

 windward holding up a poncho to give a little protection. The 



" LOWER IT WOULD NOT GO. 



