Chapter VI. 
A cold wind was blowing and the porters rushed to find 
shelter. The height was 14,193 feet above the sea-level. 
They were above the zone of trees, and there were only mosses, 
lichens and clumps of everlasting flowers. 
The wind drove the fog hither and thither, opening up 
glimpses of the country now in one direction, now in another. 
To the north of the col rose the southern ridge of Kiyanja, wide, 
rounded, and covered on the top by a glacier which falls over 
to the right and left on the two slopes, and which must have once 
come down so as to cover the entire col. The traces are clear on 
the polished and lined rocks. Southward stands the group of 
rocky peaks which II.It. IT. had already observed from the 
summit of Kiyanja. Here they saw two small glaciers which 
fill two cols, while a third between them is rocky and free from 
ice. Four peaks form these cols ; the westernmost and furthest 
off appeared to be the highest. 
At the foot of these peaks, between them and a spur of 
Kiyanja, lies a valley which slopes down due west. Beyond 
this spur they caught sight of the light reflected on two tiny 
lakes, which lie at the bottom of another valley running from 
north to south, starting from the col between Kiyanja and the 
central group. 
It was this col which the Duke wished to reach and to make 
his base for attaining to the highest peaks. While he carefully 
noted down every detail of the country which was visible, 
taking advantage of the rifts in the moving mists, a guide went 
forward to find out whether it might not be possible to skirt the 
western slopes of Kiyanja without descending to the bottom of 
the valley, which would then necessitate reascending to the 
farther col. The guide now came back and brought news that 
it would not be possible to skirt the mountain because its side 
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