THE PLAN OF DESCENT. 22y 
The evening was chiefly occupied in a great dis¬ 
cussion as to where we should go next; my plan was 
to proceed east and descend the mountain to Useri, 
which would enable us to explore thoroughly the 
higher slope on that side and to shoot our way back 
to Taveta through good game-country. Failing this, 
I pioposed to descend to Lake Cala, which was much 
the neaiest way to our headquarters, but I was over- 
luled by the others, and we decided to return by the 
way we had come and to pay Sina a final visit, as we 
thought we owed him this civility on account of his 
kind behaviour and liberality towards us. 
The Wa-kiboso, with us, were very pleased when they 
heaid that we had had enough of the mountain ; I must 
say they were capital fellows, and bore the cold wonder¬ 
fully well, considering their only clothing consisted of a 
small piece of cloth and a little leather apron fastened 
round the waist and hanging down behind. They 
were in a great state of mind lest we should be lost up 
the mountain, and lit fires on all the ridges, round our 
camp, as beacons, and on our return shook us warmly 
by the hand, and danced with delight when we told 
them that they should all have a present of cloth 
foi their trouble. Many of our men, especially the 
before being stopped by a wall of ice that barred further progress. I think 
he must have been deceived in the actual height he attained, as with 
my telescope I could well make out the glacier he mentions, and I estimate 
it as being fully a thousand feet in depth ; therefore I think he cannot have 
reached nearer than within a thousand feet of the summit. I have still more 
recently heard, on the best authority, that another German has successfully 
reached the summit, having discovered an easy way of ascent on the north¬ 
west side. He reports the discovery of a large crater choked up with eternal 
snow. 
