Peaks of the Central Group. 
vanquished. In a few minutes H.R.H. set foot upon the highest 
peak of Ruwenzori. 
They emerged from the mist into splendid clear sunlight. 
At their feet lay a sea of fog. An impenetrable layer of light 
ashy-white cloud-drifts, stretching as far as the eye could reach, 
was drifting rapidly north-westward. From the immense 
moving surface emerged two fixed points, two pure white peaks 
sparkling in the sun with their myriad snow crystals. These 
were the two extreme summits of the highest peaks. The 
Duke of the Abruzzi named these summits Margherita and 
Alexandra “ in order that, under the auspices of these two 
royal ladies, the memory of the two nations may be handed 
down to posterity—of Italy, whose name was the first to 
resound on these snows in a shout of victory, and of England, 
which in its marvellous colonial expansion carries civilization 
to the slopes of these remote mountains.’ # 
It was a thrilling; moment when the little tricolour flag’, 
given by H.M. Queen Margherita of Savoy, unfurled to the 
wind and sun the embroidered letters of its inspiring motto 
“ Ardisci e Spera ” (Dare and Hope). 
The wind was blowing up rather fresh from the south-east 
with a temperature of 23 C, 4F. Calculations from the observa¬ 
tions taken gave a height of 10,815 feet for Margherita Peak, 
and 16,749 feet for Alexandra Peak. It was now 11.30 a.m. 
They had taken about half an hour to get down from the first 
peak to the col, and an hour and a-half to climb from the col to 
Peak Margherita. These hours were full of intense excitement, 
owing to their perpetual fear of seeing the way blocked by 
some insuperable obstacle. 
Margherita Peak is all covered with snow, and not a single 
* See “ Geographical Journal,” February, 1907, p. 138. 
185 
