BAD WATER 
higher black line radiations spread, subdividing the skv 
into rectangular designs—of almost equal size. To the 
east were great globular masses of mist, somewhat 
confused in shape. 
The water at this camp was bad, the marsh being 
over a bed of decayed vegetable matter, which rendered 
the water of a brownish black colour, like strong tea. Its 
taste was foul. By digging a well a few yards from the 
lagoon I succeeded, however, in obtaining clean and good 
water, which filtered through the ashes and sand. 
Our camp was at an elevation of 2,300 feet. During 
the night, June 2-3, the thermometer was higher than 
usual (minimum 58° Fahrenheit), but my men felt the 
cold more than the previous night because of the heavy 
mist which set in after sunset, followed by a drizzling 
rain which damped everything. My men were all attacked 
by fever, which rendered them more irritable and ill- 
tempered than ever — if possible. 
We did not leave camp until 11.30 a.m., rising again 
to the summit of the plateau some fifty feet higher. There 
we had to describe a wide arc of a circle, as through the 
trees we perceived on our left an immense chasm, beyond 
which was a much disturbed landscape of striking rugged¬ 
ness. We could see a huge circular crater with eroded 
lips, rising like the chipped edges of a gigantic cup, in 
the centre of the great volcanic basin. That depression 
with high vertical walls all round displayed a large gap 
to the west-northwest, and another to the southwest. 
Twelve kilometres from our last camp — and still 
marching along the edge of the circle on the summit of the 
plateau — we came to a grassy cuvette, and then to an¬ 
other hollow with a few burity palms. The wall over¬ 
looking the great circular depression was perpendicular, 
of red, igneous rock, with projecting spurs ending in 
conical, much-corrugated hills. The curious opening to 
the southwest was much broken up in two places with 
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