Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-23

Bianeo rose in another low hump, noun
tain of white pumice. Here and there
Juts of volcanic rock protruded from the
earth of ash, like decayed tusks. Each
tusk had once been fire jet Now
passed pits of pumice. where a pumice
mine had been, and Moreno plowed through
II almost as deeply as If it had been snow.
Far above on the slopes leading to the
Peak itself were huge separate blocks of
lava, which had rolled from a great lava
dixie as ice breaks from an ice fall. They
shone afar off, cleaning in the sun, pol
ished. clean fractured like obsidian. And
the great walls or bikes of lava seemed
yet to roll down from the crater. They
showed black, tremendous and barren. 1t
is only in the lower country that the
poisonous euphorbia grows on lava
Now we were even leaving the hardy
retama behind us as we climbed upward
to the old camping grounds where the
people used to sleep before the high hut of
Alta Vista was built. The first camp was
called Estancia de los Alemannos and
above it was the second one, Estancia de
los Ingleses at nearly ten thousand feet.
And now the worn rough path over lava
and cinder and loose rapilli zigzagged up
the steep side of the great cone. For
hours / had seen no vegetation, no sign Of
life, not even a vulture flew overhead, not
so much as a strayed moth. the world was
a glare of sand and cinders, fine rapilli,
white pumice black lava. On either hand
as we criss-crossed up the steep slope
mighty dixie of lava, broken, cracked like
a spoilt glazed pot in the fire, shone in the
ow. In another hour We came to little
fiat space and were at Alta Vista the hut.
1t was O'Clock, and / looked down upon
n dead world of fire, and yet up to the
horizon. For the sea-iine climbed high, We
were in we'll The distances in spite OF
the elear air seemed immense
While the men unloaded the pack mule
/ sat on the doorstep of the hut and stared
eastward. Grand Canary was not visible.
1t lay under clouds. even as huge de-
parting steamer might have been hidden
under fresh smoke in a following wind.
/ felt well. The fatigue of riding was on
me- but ! felt no touch of mountain sick
ness. l sighed a little now and again,
but could smoke; SO far the rise from the
sea level to 10,700 had not affected my
heart My mind, too, went easily. / was
pleased to be at Alta Vista above the world
in ancient peace and quiet. The wind was
still. l looked down upon a red moon
scape, as 1t seemed to me. And as one sees
the shadows Of the peaks in the moon, so
now the shadows of the peak and the les
ser fumaroles crept across the floor of the
Canyadas. Near me patch of snow,
over it was black forbidding lava, down
below red faded to gray, and darkened.
The shadow of the great cone crept across
the floor But above me the real moon was
gibbous and faint The calm air froze. AS
the sun set the effect was very beautiful.
The shadow of the cone was visible in the
very air. The Grand Canary clouds were
gray purple and fine faint gold
strewn hut Dionisio and Teleforo prepared
their simple meal of gofio and potatoes,
and were delighted to share my better food.
But delicacy forbade them coming to my
stove red with dried retama. Even SO the
cold was intense. Though was warmly
clad took my rug and, with knife, cut a
mole in the middle of it. and converting 1t
into poncho put my head through the
hole. After food came out on the plateau
and found the moon brighter. Under ttD