EXPLORER ROUSES MOUNTAIN DEVIL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1018, 6 January 1911, Page 6

EXPLORER ROUSES MOUNTAIN DEVIL.

LIEUT. BOYD ALEXANDER'S FATE. , It .appears that, the.diary of Lieutenant Boyd Alexander,. who ■ was --murdered in Africa near tho French Sudan a year ago, was found after his death. It has now reached England, and reveals the fact that he was 8000 feet up the Kameran Ptak at tho-time of the-earthquake and eruption, which continued for five days with unabated severity. Lieutenant Alexander wrote that for several days and nights tho shocks occurred every, two minutes. All through the first night and following day torrential rain poured down. The earth opened in. hugs fissures, and scarps and ledges of rock broke away and tore down Hie mountain-side, levelling tho trees in front of them. Tho forests and-tho tall glass shook with .a hissing sound; great stems snapped, and out of the confusion thousands of mon : keys fUd screaming down the slopes.! Then at last the, crater of the. mountain burst open, belching up flame and throwing huge rocks iuto the sky. When the earthquake had subsided observations and photographs were taken of the crater and (he lava stream before the party continual their advance to explore the Manengnba Range. All tho way .great difficulties were experienced in getting food, for the story had goiw abroad that tho earthquake had been caused by tile white man who had gone up and fired his gun down the crater, thereby rousing to anger the devil, who, the natives believe dwells within the mountain. Ami co the people (led in terror before Lieutenant Alexander's advance, driving off their cattla and leaving the villages deserted.