658 The American Naturalist. [July, 
Africa.—Dr. Meyer’s Ascent of Kilima-njaro.—Dr. Meyer 
has recently made a second and entirely successful attempt to climb 
the great ice-dome of Kibo, the main summit of Kilima-njaro. The 
principal reasons for the failure of the former attempt were the diffi- 
culties of procuring provisions sufficient for the continued stay needed, 
and the want of ice-axes and rope to aid in surmounting the steep wall 
of ice met with near the summit. To remedy the former, Dr. Meyer 
made friends with the young chief Mareale, of Marangu, with whom . 
he established a camp of substantial huts for the shelter of his caravan ; 
a second camp was formed at a height of 9,515 feet, where eight por- 
ters were left. A tent was pitched upon the saddle connecting the 
peaks of Mawenzi with Kibo, at a height of 14,270 feet. Each day 
three or four men brought provisions from Marangu to the middle 
camp, and two men climbed to the upper camp, so as to keep the 
travelers supplied. In order to conquer the ice-slope, Dr. Meyer had 
secured the services of Herr Purtsheller, an experienced Alpine moun- 
taineer, provided with ice-axes and other essentials. These two spent 
in all sixteen days among the higher peaks, while a faithful negro 
stayed all the while at the upper tent. On the first occasion they left 
the upper camp at 2.40 A.M., and by breakfast time had left the peaks 
of Mawenzi below them. There was less snow (October) than had 
been found on the previous ascent (July, 1887). At 15,980 feet a. 
lava dyke, with evidences of glacial action, was encountered, and the 
first patches of snow were found at 16,400 feet. At 17,650 feet the 
travelers reached the ice-slope, with an angle of 35°, conquered it in 
two hours, and in another hour and a quarter reached the summit- 
ridge, and found themselves upon the edge of an immense circular 
crater. The point where they stood was not the highest portion of 
the jagged rim, and it was not until three days later, after a return to 
their tent, that the travelers, using their former steps and sheltering 
themselves for a night in a cave, the temperature of the interior of 
which was 12° C., succeeded in reaching what Dr. Meyer pen 
states is ** probably the highest point of the German possession 
This point is estimated (by aneroid only) at 6,000 metres, or 19,684 
feet. The diameter of the crater is at least 2,200 yards, and the depth 
of the floor 65o feet. Upon the north and east the ice descends in 
terraces to the bottom, but on the west and south steep lava cliffs break 
out of the ice-cap. In the centre a cone of brown ashes, with the top 
bare, rises to a height of 500 feet. The girdle of ice and snow 
wreathed around this cone sweeps out overa gap in the western wall 
of the crater-rim in the form of a glacier about a mile and a half long 
