214 
In the Heart of Africa 
scrub with the big caravan and bulky, heavy tent loads. We 
should also have been compelled to carry water with us, as none 
was to be had on the ridge, and, in addition, a halt of any 
duration at an elevation of 3,000 metres would have been nearly 
torture to the carriers, who are peculiarly sensitive to the damp 
cold and mist. We remained, therefore, where we were, and 
utilised one day to explore the near vicinity of the camp ; on 
the next we proposed to push forward again and see how far 
we could get with two natives and a few of our followers who 
always accompanied us on smaller excursions. We climbed up 
to a crest above the ‘ lower Belgian camp.’ Then Schubotz 
turned back, as the weather had grown very murky. I now 
climbed on up a hill lying before us, which formed the most 
disagreeable part of the journey. It was manifestly the same 
spot at which Stuhlmann on his memorable climb had left his 
tents and all heavier loads under the charge of the famous Uledi. 
Here the ericacecE formed a veritable forest. The trees attained 
an average height of 6 to 7 metres, and frequently 30 centimetres 
in diameter. The slope of the hill itself was pretty steep, but 
the worst was that everywhere fallen ericacece were lying around. 
The whole place was overrun with luxuriant flora (balsamines 
and mimulopsis), and mosses dripping with moisture, so that 
it was impossible to see where I was going, and I often sank up 
to my waist in some concealed hole or other. Even when this 
hill was surmounted, things did not go much better. The big 
trees and the steepness of the way ceased, but in their stead the 
vegetation consisted of ericacece shrubs of juniper-like growth 
(Philipfia longifolia Engl.y n. sp.)y which were very dense, so 
that we had all we could do to push through it. The weather 
was so thick that we could only see a few metres ahead; the 
path, however, could still be discerned. Here, too, we found 
the so-called ‘ upper Belgian camp.’ Then we came to a small 
mountain stream in a light depression which divides the long 
mountain ridge on which we had climbed from Mount Ulimbi. 
The ericacece shrub ended and the fine alpine flora of Ruwenzori 
commenced with the two tree-like senecio, 5 . Johnstonii and 
