VISIT TO THE VOLCANOES, 65 
beyond those, in the middle distance, the jungle, or rather 
forest, which climbs up almost to the summit of the Tengger 
mountains, whose steep sides shut out all beyond, as a wall. 
At one end, as it were, of this, rises this great volcano with 
its summit puffing out a light cotton-like vapour, and half way 
down its precipices fleecy clouds were floating. The whole 
scene was most enchanting, far beyond my powers of 
description. 
Immediately after leaving the village we began to 
ascend ; for the first mile or two the view of the country 
below us was very beautiful, we could see Pooza and the 
island in front of it very distincdy. Wc then entered the thick 
forest ; in many places we passed through gigantic ferns with 
the stems of the trees covered with a beautiful fine moss, the 
path and all the ground around carpeted with various coloured 
flowers. After a considerable ascent during which we were 
obliged to get off our ponies and walk through some stunted 
jungle amongst which strawberries and raspberries were 
growing in the greatest profusion, we came out on to open 
downs covered with ferns and long grass with here and there 
a pretty clump of trees. The buffaloes and horses grazing 
about indicated that we were approaching the village where 
we intended to bivouack for the night. The cold bracing air, 
the sight of the dog rose, blackberry and thistle growing on 
each side of the road, together with the fern-clad hills, made 
the eleven thousand miles vanish as it were as by the touch 
of a magician s hand, and I fancied I was again in my own 
dear native land. A little further on a turn of the road 
brought us suddenly in sight of a pretty little mountain 
village snugly sheltered in a dell below us, backed by 
gardens and picturesque clumps of trees. On nearer ap- 
5 
