In the Volcanic Region 113 
himself to us, knew his business and conducted us to a spot 
where other tents had stood before ours. Since the first ascent 
of Ninagongo by Count Gotzen in the year 1894, Kissubi’s 
services have often been requisitioned. The proximity of the 
military post of Kissenji on German, and of Ngoma and 
Bobandana on Congolese, territory has brought about a relatively 
frequent ascent of the mountain. 
The principal peak soars up in strong relief against the 
cloudless heavens, blunted at the top and typically conical in 
character, and is flanked on the north and south by lower-lying 
craters. Whilst the northern and southern craters have long 
been extinct, and are wooded to the top, the main middle cone 
gives unmistakable appearance of activity. The vegetation does 
not reach quite up to the summit, while beyond is barren lava 
and ashes, which in the course of time has developed into 
calcareous tufa. 
The ascent was carried out with a limited number of carriers 
only. The little caravan toiled slowly along the narrow paths 
and through a growth of vegetation, which Captain Herrmann 
has termed virgin bush forest. It consists of a thicket of shrubs 
and trees of medium height, and is in places almost impenetrable. 
The lower part is dominated by a growth of even-branched 
acanthus bushes, about six metres in height, bearing large, soft 
leaves, belonging, perhaps, to the genus Mellera. Further up 
Mildbraed observed a small bush-like draccena appear very 
frequently. Great trees with tall trunks grew isolated here 
and there. 
After passing the forest we reached a region of cammock. 
A mass of bushes and shrubs, hardly the height of a man, with 
rod-shaped branches, grow crowded together. The very uniform 
style of this rod-like growth creates a somewhat monotonous 
impression, in spite of the wealth of species met with. It is 
worthy of mention, as Mildbraed points out, that here the heaths 
do not play so important a part as usual in African brushwood. 
On the lower line of the region Erica arborea are found, and on 
the upper Philifpia Joknstonii ; but the greater portion of the 
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