i.ETTKR xxix.] DESCENT OF MAUN A LOA. 



273 



was hard frozen, and the' keenness of the cold aggravated the 

 uncomfortable symptoms which accompany pulses at no°. 

 The native guide was the only person capable of work, so we 

 were late in getting off, and rode four and a half hours to the 

 camping ground, only stopping once to tighten our girths. Not 

 a rope, strap, buckle, or any of our gear gave way, and though 

 I rode without a crupper, the breeching of a pack mule's saddle 

 kept mine steady. 



The descent, to the riders, is far more trying than the ascent, 

 owing to the continued stretch of very steep declivity for 

 8000 feet; but our mules never tripped, and came into 

 Ainepo as if they had not travelled at all. The horses were 

 terribly cut, both again in the a-a stream, and on the descent. 

 It was sickening to follow them, for at first they left fragments 

 of hide and hair on the rocks, then flesh, and when there was 

 no more hide or flesh to come off their poor heels and fet- 

 locks, blood dripped on every rock, and if they stood still for 

 a few moments, every hoof left a little puddle of gore. We had 

 all the enjoyment and they all the misery. I was much ex- 

 hausted when we reached the camping-ground, but soon revived 

 under the influence of food; but the poor native, who was 

 really very ill, abandoned himself to wretchedness, and has only 

 recovered to-day. 



The belt of cloud which was all radiance above, was all 

 drizzling fog below, and we reached Ainepo in a regular Scotch 

 mist. The ranchmen seemed rather grumpy at our suc- 

 cessful ascent, which involved the failure of all their pro- 

 phecies, and, indeed, we were thoroughly unsatisfactory 

 travellers, arriving fresh and complacent, with neither adven- 

 tures nor disasters to gladden people's hearts. We started for 

 this ranch seven miles further, soon after dark, and arrived 

 before nine, after the most successful ascent of Mauna Loa 

 ever made. 



Without being a Sybarite, I certainly do prefer a comfortable . 

 pdu bed to one of ridgy lava, and the fire which blazes on this 

 broad hearth to the camp-fire on the frozen top of the volcano. 

 The worthy ranchman expected us, and has treated us very 

 sumptuously, and even Kahe'le is being regaled on Chinese 

 sorghum. The Sunday s rest, too, is a luxury, which I wonder 

 that travellers can ever forego. If one is always on the move, 

 even very vivid impressions are hunted out of the memory by 

 the last new thing. Though I am not unduly tired, even had 

 it not been Sunday, I should have liked a day in which to recall 



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