ASCENDING AN ACTIVE VOLCANO. 



229 



There was only one man, a native, who hatl ever 

 been to the top and " knew the way," though from a 

 distance one part of the mountain seemed as danger- 

 ous as another. Tliat man was engaged as our 

 " guide," and also some ten othei's whose duty it was 

 to carry a good supply of water hi long bamboos. 

 Early next morning the coolies were ready, but only 

 the four of us before mentioned apjieared at the ap- 

 pointed hour; the daring of the others had evidently 

 been dispelled by portentous dreams. From the 

 western end of the \Tllage we crossed "the Strait of 

 the Sun " to the foot of the mountain. Some coolies 

 had preceded us^ and cleared away a path u}j the 

 steep aceli\4ty ; but soon our only road was the nar- 

 row bands where large masses of rocks and sand, 

 which had been loosened from some place high up the 

 mountain, and shot down in a series of small land- 

 slides, ploughing up the low shrubbery in theii* thun* 

 dering descent. As long as we climbed up among the 

 small treeSj although it was difficult and tiring, it was 

 not particularly dangerous until we came out on the 

 naked sides of the mountain, for this great elevation 

 is not covered with vegetation more than two4hii'ds 

 of the distance fi'om its base to its summit. This lack 

 of vegetation is caused by the fr^equent and wide land- 

 slides and by the great quantity of sulphur brought up 

 to its top by sublimation and %vashed down its sides 

 by the heavy rains. Here we were obliged to crawl 

 up on aU fours among small, rough blocks of porous 

 lava, and aU spread out until our party formed a 

 horizontal line on the mountain*side, so that when 

 one loosened several rocks, as constantly hap2)ened, 



