New-York tribune., 1908-12-12


Twenty years ago. when Stanley was in
Equatorial Africa he saw from afar off the
snow-capped peaks Of the mountain range
known TO the natives Ruwenzori. He would
have been glad if he could have made the ex-
ploration of this range one Of the tasks OF his
expedition and, though that was impossible, he
never ceased TO cherish the idea that some day
the work might be done. Long afterward at a
meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, he
expressed the wish that some lover OF Alpine
climbing would take Ruwenzori in hand and
make thorough work of it. explore it from
top to bottom through all those enormous de-
files and those deep gorges." He died before he
could witness the fulflment Of his wish Very
soon after its discovery the range was attacked
by more than one explorer, and considerable
progress was made in exposing its secrets, but
il was not until 1906 that the Duke OF the
Abruzzi embarked upon his campaign, and in
q few short months conquered the highest
levels. The most successful of his predecessors
had achieved a height of 1879 feet. He gained
a height Of 1856 feet when he planted upon
Margherita Peak the little flag given to him by
the Queen Dowager of Italy. He could not him
self find the leisure in which to describe his
exploit. but the notes and journals of his party
| have been made. by Cav. F1lippo de F1lippi the
foundation for a full and interesting narra-
tive.
volved serious hardships. The Dukes cara
van of about three hundred persons proceeded
rapidly enough TO the mountainous zone. The
RUwenzort range is Veiled nearly all the year
round, however, by dense mists. and when the
explorers came to close quarters with it their
labors were severe. The character of the coun-
try which had TO be traversed before the cold
climbing began is illustrated by this description
Of plateau covered by a great forest Of tree
heaJhs:
In this forest trunks and boughs are entirely
sInothered in a thick layer Of mcsses which hang
like waVing bear6s & rom every spray cushion and
twlg. deform every outline and obliterate every
tesque conJortions, monstrous tumefactions of the
dlscoloTed IepIous growth No lear Is to be seen
dark, owing to the dense network of trunks and
nnuuerable dead trunks, heaped upon another
IN intricate piles, covered with moses, viscous and
slippery where exposed 10 the air. black naked and
yet neither mildewed nor rotten where they have
tation seems primeyal Of some period when forms
pietes the image Of a remote age before the begin
ming Of animal existence such might have been
those forests which have given us the strata of coal
. Faint and and i4dtstinet ira tracks on & the and the
ceed leapihg and balancing themselves upon the
slippery trunks, in continual danger Of putting
ings between the trunks, whence they would be
likely TO emerge with broken bones or other inju
ries. The BakOnjOs give proof of marvellous agil-
ity. They jump from trunk 10 trunk: they crouch
crawl TO slip their loads under the lower
branches: they perform miracles Of equilibrium
upon sloping trunks, walking all the time fast
that Il is difficult 10 keep up with them.
The travellers fortunate in their porters
Nearly all Of the latter behaved well and bore
with surprising fortitude and good nature the
cold into which they passed. The Ru-
wenzor range is less than half q degree north
OF the Equator. but its climate is scarcely tropi-
cal The Duke describes II as consisting of six
mountains or groups Of peaks, with glaciers,
which form n body resembling q written &c"
Referring TO its prime importance a feeder
for the Nile he notes that the highest peaks
soar up into the colder strata OF the air. and
gather to themselves and precipitate in rain and
snow the OF vapors drawn up from the
vast plains below, while the network Of valleys
forms great basins to collect the water thus
gathered" This expedition undertaken with
every forethought that would enable the ex-
plorers scientifically to establish all OF the
climatic and other facts of the region. The
Duke very clearly shows how the snowy range