KILIMA-NJARO.

Western Star, Issue 962, 4 July 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

KILIMA-NJARO.

THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN AFBICA. Kilima-njaro, called the highest mountain in Africa, is of an altitude estimated at 18,800 feet. It is a little more than three degrees south of the Equator and about 3 80 miles from the, eastern coast. The longer axis of the mountain mass is about sixty miles, and the shorter over thirty. It is still somewhat volcanic, and the natives speak of an earthquake four years ago which shook the mountain so that one could hardly stand. At a recent meeting of the Boyal Geographical Society in London, H. H. Johnston gave an account of his explorations on the slopes of the mountain during five months of the past summer and autumn. He had with him about fifty men. His expedition was projected by the joint Kilima-niaro Commitee of the British Association and the Eoyal Society. In their ascent the party crossed the cultivated zone, which ended at about 5,500 feet in that part, entered a healthy district, with pleasant, grassy knolls and many streams of running water, and camped beside a lovely fernchoked brook at 6,500 feet, the whole ascent being very gradual. The following day the/ passed through a stunted forest, not unlike an English woodland, where the trees, however, were hung with unfamiliar ferns and creepers, and where deliciously scented parasitic begonias trailed their pink flower-bells from branch to branch. The dracsena, which is cultivated by the Wa-Ohagga to form hedges, here grew wild. Tree-ferns were abundant and handsome. Above 7,000 feet the orchilla moss draped the forest trees in long gray festoons. Tracks of elephants were very numerous. The other noticeable inhabitants of the forest were dark blue touracos and tree-hyraxes. Wart-hogs were occasionally met with up to 8,000 feet. At 9,000 feet they camped for the night by a small spring of water in the midst of a grand bit of forest, not of that stunted character which marked the lower woods. He caught a chameleon and many beetles here, and also shot touracoes and pigeons. Bushes and flowers were abundaot at 13,000 feet, and above this heaths of the size of shrubs grew with some luxuriance in the interstices of the boulders. The region of vegetation extends to 15,000 feet. ;\ ' ..

At 13,000 feet bees and wasps were still to be.seen, and bright little sunbirds darted from bush to bush, gleaning their repast of honey. At about 13,700 feet was seen the last resident bird, apparently a kind of stonechat. It went in little flocks, and showed no fear. Above this was seen only an occasinoal high-soaring kite or greatbilled raven. Three elephants were seen at a height of 13,000 feet. Traces ot buffaloo were found at 14,000 feet. ; The high grounds at the foot of • Kilima-njaro are cool and healthy, and offer a fine field for the enterprise of European settlers. , "••■' Mr Johnston established a permanent camp at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Huts were built, as the one or two degrees below freezing point to which the thermoneter descended, made very cold weather for his' native followers. Bands of natives brought an abundance of provisions for sale. He was but four miles in a direct line from the lava-peak of Kimawenzi, which sometimes would be covered with snow down to the parent ridge, and again would have on it only a mere patch, the change from an almost complete snow-cap to nearly no snow at all takiog place sometimes in twelve hours. His great object was to ascend the peak of Kib6. The > ascent was not difficult; but it was hard to get the timid natives to go with him, and the latter part of the way he went entirely alone. The air was filled with mist, obstructing the view, but he says : "At length, and it was so sudden and so fleeting that I had no time tofully take in the majesty of the snowy dome of Kibo, the clouds parted, and ' I looked on a blaze of snow so blinding white under the brief flicker of sunlight that I could see little detail. Since sunrise tbat morning I had caught no glimpse of Kib6, and now it was suddenly presented to me with unusual and startling nearness. But before I could get out my sketck book and sharpen my chalk pencil the clouds had once more hidden everything; indeed, had enclosed in a kind of London fog, very depressing in character; j for the decrease io. light was rather • alarming to one who felt himself alone and cut off* at a point nearly as high as the summit of Mount Blanc."

He clambered on upward in the mist, not without danger of falling into rifts covered with snow. Though he had been obliged to leave behind his native followers, not only on accouut of their timidity, but also be* cause, panting and exhausted, they complained of trouble in their lungs and • head. * Mr. Johnston himself suffered at first absolutely nothing in this respect. A.t last, however, breathless and panting, he sank exhausted on the ground, overcome with an attack of mountain sickness. He. boiled his thermoneter, and the mercury rose to 183.8, indicating an altitude of 16,315 feet. He was still 2,000 feet short of the summit, but thought it best to return to his camp. On the 18th of October he broke up his elevated camp, and started on his return toward Zanzibar.