2o8 
In the Heart of Africa 
tain, furrowing deep channels in the ground, and turning the 
soil into ankle-deep mud which, of course, is carried by us in 
cakes into our tents. Nothing dries ; clothes and boots will need 
several days to get right again, and will even then have to be 
drawn on damp. The men are freezing. Our baggage is being 
damaged, the photographic apparatus especially. Our guns 
have to be submitted to a permanent oil bath, so as not to rust 
entirely, and to be ready for use. The zoological and botanical 
collections are in a bad way. As they cannot dry, they are 
easily exposed to the danger of rotting. With a heavy heart 
we have thrown away many a bird skin, many a plant specimen 
which have become worthless. The temperature is cool—15 deg. 
C. both yesterday and to-day. These are the afflictions of the 
rainy season, which, for the second time already, we are 
tasting.” 
At Muera’s village the two biologists parted from us, as they 
I will here set down some general remarks concerning the geology 
of Ruwenzori, which are culled almost verbatim from the Duke 
d’Abruzzi’s book. Our geologist, Kirschstein, was not privileged 
to visit this mountain range. Ruwenzori stands, so to speak, like 
a mighty projecting corner tower in the wall of the eastern border 
of the Central African rift-valley. It is certain that Ruwen¬ 
zori is not a volcano, as was assumed by Stanley. It is a serrated 
range, consisting of gneiss as well as micaceous slate. Begin¬ 
ning at an altitude of some 4,000 metres, its highest summits 
are mostly formed of aphanite. In this respect it differs from 
all other mountains in Equatorial Africa, which tower up to 
Alpine heights. With the exception of the Aberdare Chain, 
which rises to a height of 4,270 metres, they are all volcanoes— 
Kilimandscharo 6,010, Meru 4,730, Kenia 5,600, Elgon 4,230, 
the Kiwu volcanoes 4,500 metres, and the Cameroon mountains 
4,070 metres. As far as snowfields and glaciers are concerned, 
there is nothing in the whole of Africa which can compare with 
Ruwenzori. Six summits of the whole group, which have been 
named by the Duke d’Abruzzi after celebrated Central African 
explorers, are covered with perpetual snow. From north to south 
