145 
In the Volcanic Region 
anxious gcize that we viewed the black cloud-banks on the 
horizon which foretold bad weather during the night. Our 
fears proved well-formed. The weather changed very quickly. 
Mist rose and enveloped the camp, and as darkness fell our 
thermometer sank to one degree Celsius, Howling gusts of 
wind, which rose to a furious gale during the night and pitilessly 
pierced the flimsy sides of the tents, swept full over the ridge. 
Everyone who owned a thick suit put it on: no one thought of 
sleep. Wrapped round with blankets we listened to the raging 
of the storm, expecting our tents to collapse every moment. At 
midnight Grauer’s flew away; being the largest it offered the 
greatest surface of resistance to the wind. The others remained 
standing, it is true, but the pegs worked loose, the awnings 
were soon flapping about in the wind, and there was a general 
shouting for “boys” to go and fasten them. The wind in¬ 
creased steadily all the time. Towards morning the heavy 
clouds emptied themselves in violent showers of hail which 
rattled down upon the roofs of the tents, and covered every¬ 
thing around with a white mantle. 
The morning dawned on a wintry scene. Our tents and 
the whole region around us were covered with snow. Otherwise 
the situation remained unchanged: impenetrable fog, wind and 
cold, with the thermometer, indicating the same temperature as 
the evening before. An ascent of the peak under such condi¬ 
tions could not be entertained for a moment, as there was no 
path of any kind and it was impossible to find our bearings 
in a heavy mist which prevented our seeing farther than twenty 
metres before us. As there was nothing to be done, we con¬ 
gregated in Grauer’s “ salon ” by the dim light of a lamp, 
closed in the tent against the cold, and played “nap.” Now 
and again a stiff glass of grog served to keep up our spirits. 
Thus we hung on for more favourable weather, and this came 
towards three o’clock in the afternoon. The fog dispersed and 
the summit was clear again. 
Wiese, Grauer and I prepared to ascend at once. First we 
had to pass through the senecio forest, which is very difficult to 
T 
