CH. m ON BOABD H.M.8. 'FLYING FISH' 43 



Just across the strait lay the forest-clad slopes of Tagulan- 

 dang, and close by it the little island of Passiac, while in 

 the same direction we could see in the far distance the 

 summit of the Siauw volcano, with the ever-present cloud 

 of smoke hoveriug over its conical peak. We could not 

 see, however, from that position the mountains of Celebes, 

 for the opposite walls of the crater hid them from view. 

 Our barometers told us that we had reached the height of 

 approximately 1,700 feet, but there was a peak a little to 

 the southward of our position, some 500 feet higher, which 

 rose hke the pinnacle of a temple from the edge of the 

 cup. From this point and this alone could we hope to 

 obtain our true bearings with the mountains and islands of 

 Celebes, and consequently we called upon our guides to lead 

 the way to this summit. The guides, however, who imagined 

 that they had already fulfilled their mission, refused, and by 

 teUing us that it was not possible, and then that it was not 

 lucky to go there, tried to dissuade us from the attempt. 

 This they did not succeed in . doing, for very shortly 

 they had the mortification, or disappointment shall I say, 

 of seeing our little white surveying flag floating upon the 

 highest point of the volcano. It was by no means an easy 

 task to attain this summit, for nearly every step we took 

 sent showers of sand and stones down the slopes of the 

 mountain, and the heat caused by the midday sun shining 

 upon this black soil was intense. On hands and knees we 

 scrambled up, here surmounting a great black boulder, and 

 there crossing a small patch of soft white ash, but at last 

 we reached the -summit, a small plateau not more than fifty 

 square yards in area, with all the sides precipitous except 

 the one by which we had approached it. We were, in all 

 probability, the first who had ever reached the summit 

 of this peak, for the natives have neither the courage 

 nor the curiosity to make the ascent, and white visitors are 



