19X2] THE ACTIVE CRATER SHOWS OFF 355 
troubled with shortness of breath and fatigue, and were 
obliged to rest every hundred yards or so; but we reached 
the summit of the active cone within two or three hours 
of leaving the camp, and while Gran made a cairn for the 
record I had prepared, I endeavoured with the help of 
Abbott and Hooper to light the hypsometer ; but the 
breeze was too stiff and enfiladed the crater rim so that no 
adequate shelter could be obtained, and after wasting half 
a box of matches and getting several frostbitten fingers 
we were obliged to desist. Gran and I then took a series of 
photographs on the rim of the crater, but we were unable to 
see more than a few feet down because of the steam and 
sulphur vapour, which caused us considerable inconvenience 
even during the short time we spent on the rim, for every 
slight variation of direction of the wind resulted in our 
complete envelopment by the vapour, which was not too 
good to breathe in. 
After a short while on top Hooper reported that his 
feet were frostbitten, and I at once ordered him back to 
camp, telling off Abbott to accompany him and to collect 
a rucksack full of pumice on his way down. 
Gran and I continued slowly down the cone, collecting 
felspars as we went, and I had descended about 500 feet 
when I discovered to my annoyance that instead of the 
record we had left a tin of exposed films at the summit. 
Gran immediately volunteered to fetch this and place the 
real record, and as I wished to collect thoroughly I con- 
tinued slowly on my way down. I had reached the second 
group of fumaroles and was beginning to photograph them 
by the time he should have reached the top, when there was 
