Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-01-16

PiOy uSue 1H"h oSS'"S " HtsiS VI IhS
world, and at the same time cutting
out our friend the Yankee. No,
since l was partly the means Of get
ting you into The scrape by talking
at al to the man, | certainly mean
to sec you out of it,
$50 after n great deal of talk it
was finally arranged that Jack Hill
var and | were to start together in
search of the highest and most diff
ficult mountains to be found. OF
course before anything more was
done, we took care to find out that
Mr.. Zachariah Johnston was not n
penniless adyenturer, | ut had where
withal to pay his debts, ifhe should
lose. This point being ascertained
the next great question that arose,
was, what mountain we should at
tack. Switzerland had long been
used up. Norway had been voted
too low for our purpose. The high
est peaks of the Andes had already
been attained. So that for time,
we were at loss. l suggested that
it might be good plan to cut out
the American on his own soil, by
conquering any peak of the Rocky
mountains that were not already
known to the Alpine Club; but on
careful consideration we rejected
the idea, as the hunters and trap
pcrs are familiar with them, and
but little fame is gained by Sec
ond ascent. A happy thought hit
Jack. 4 have itv he cried, 'Cen.
tral Africa and the Mountains of
the Moon
"Thc more we talked the thing
over the more we liked it. Utterly
unknown to all Europeans, and sur
rounded by a sort of halo of mys-
terry, these Of all others, were the
mountains for us. Within a fort
night we had left London, laden
with everything that could by any
possibility be of use to us in our dis
tant explorations, and good many
things which certainly could not be
so. My life, for a few days before
we started, was made a burden to
me by the enthusiasm which Jack
showed for buying all strange arti-
clcs, which he asserted might come
in handy. Among these, remem-
Der, were a circular saw, a churn,
and u barrel-organ. The last he
asserted would be invaluable in APP
pcasing the minds of the natives.
In spite Of the amount of our i'm
pediments we were more successful
than most African travellers. Gain
ing information from every possible
source, and accompanied by a per-
feet gang of natives from various
tribes, who, in spite of their asser-
tions, knew as little as We did our
selves, we wandered for nearly four
months over hitherto untrodden
ground before we even came in
sight of the Moon Mountains. See
them, however, we did; and there,
in the midst of a mighty group, rose
one giant peak, soaring far above
the rest, and, in spite Of the torrid
zone, white with eternal snow.
On asking, as well as we could
of the natives what the name of this
peak was, they replied something
that sounded like 'Mumph Jomb.
This delighted us immensely, as
their name for it, corrupt rs il
seemed to be, was an evident con
tirmation of the idea contained il
the ancient rhymes that Mumbt
Jumbo inhabited the mountains 0
the Moon.
Well sir, need not trouble yos
with an account OF all the troubles
we encountered before we reached
the top Of Mumph Jomb. So Otter
were we driven back by storms ant
mists and falling stones, that the ma
tives were confirmed in their origi
nal impression of the mountain be
ing haunted, and absolutely refuset
to go with us any more.
Jack and / were thus left alone t
fight it out with the great peak, ant
at last we conquered it. 1t was tn
day after we had been. left alon
that we cut our way up the ice slop
leading to the top. | happened t
be first at the moment, and as tn
step was cut l sprang OH to tn
clear space on the top with 4 wil'
cheer. The sight that met my eye
there, however, very nearly mad
me stagger back over the edge
Quietly seated OH the very highes
point was our friend Zacharla|
Johnson, picking his teeth with hi
bowie.knite. 4 reckon you're hal
an hour late, Stranger he remarke'
in cheerful tone of voice. 'Whil
you made tracks OH one side OF tn
inc untain, did similar up the 9th
er; but l guess you'll have to greas
your boots better, if you want t
beat me at that game With tha
he took off his hat, and, with 4 low
mocklng bow, wished us goo
morning. Three minutes later b
was lost to view down the sam
side of the mountain that he ha
ascendcd by.
l need hardly tell You that W
felt greatly crushed by this melan
choly termination of our first al
tempt, and in very low spirits in
deed, that we made our way dow
the mountain, and returned, aite
some weeks travelling, to Cairo.
1t vas while staying there that
glorious plan developed itself III on
brains, more ambitious and NOR
dangerous than anything that ha
yet been conceived by man. w
were in search of mountains-wh
not go to the Himalayas? ant
there, why not attempt the highes
OF all-Mount Everest, the highes
mountain in the world? We be
came perfectly fascinated by th
idea. by day we talked Of nothin,
else, and at night Mount Everes
haunted our dreams.
At first he feared that it woul'
be hope.css attempting it, on &C
count Of the very rare state of tn
atmosphere on top; but, on examin
ing records Of balloon ascents, W
found to our relief, that @rOnaut
had been to even greater heights