CHAP. VII. 



PREPARATIONS. 143 



ance with our ideas of propriety, for the ordinary native dress 

 is as unsuited to mountaineering as can well be. It commences 

 with a straw hat that generally blows away, and terminates with 

 alpargatas (string shoes), which, although sufficient when marching 

 along dusty roads, inadequately protect the feet when tramping 



AN ALPARGATA. 



over snow and rock. Having rigged them out in some of our 

 surplus stores, I despatched them upwards under the direction 

 of Jean-Antoine with a tent, and a quantity of rope, provisions, 

 and etceteras, and they had a constant struggle with the elements. 

 Both of the Ecuadorians broke down after a time, and the heavy 

 part of the work, as usual, was performed by the Carrels. The 

 weather was the worst. During most of the day it hailed or 

 snowed, and in the rest there was fog or high wind, accompanied 

 by much thunder and lightning. 



The weather on February 17th strongly resembled that of 

 the day before. At daybreak the temperature was 28° Faht., 

 and in the jorevious night it had been three degrees lower. But 

 upon this day we heard no noises proceeding from the interior 

 of the cone, although they had been frequent during the 16th. 

 At 7 a.m. the summit was visible for a few minutes, and was 

 seen to be emitting vast clouds of steam continuously, which 



