being as
low as 51 deg. Fahr. (minimum). During the day the maximum temperature was
85 deg. Fahr. and 96 deg. in the sun.

My only consolation that day was watching the innumerable birds and
gazing at the magnificent sunset. The latter consisted that evening of
three lines forming arches--two black to the west and the third
white--stretching across the sky from north to south. From the higher
black line radiations spread, subdividing the sky into rectangular
designs--of almost equal size. To the east were great globular masses of
mist somewhat confused in shape.

The water at this camp was bad, the marsh being over a bed of decayed
vegetable matter, which rendered the water of a brownish black colour,
like strong tea. Its taste was foul. By digging a well a few yards from
the lagoon I succeeded, however, in obtaining clean and good water, which
filtered through the ashes and sand.

Our camp was at an elevation of 2,300 ft. During the night, June 2nd-3rd,
the thermometer was higher than usual (min. 58 deg. Fahr.), but my men felt
the cold more than the previous night because of the heavy mist which set
in after sunset, followed by a drizzling rain which damped everything. My
men were all attacked by fever, which rendered them more irritable and
ill-tempered than ever--if possible.

We did not leave camp until 11.30 a.m., rising again to the summit of the
plateau some 50 ft. higher. There we had to describe a wide arc of a
circle, as through the trees we perceived on our left an immense chasm,
beyond which was a much disturbed landscape of striking ruggedness. We
could see a huge circular crater with eroded lips, rising like the
chipped edges of a gigantic cup, in the centre of the great volcanic
basin. That depression with high vertical walls all round displayed a
large gap to the W.N.W. and another to the south-west.

Twelve kilometres from our last camp--and still marching along the edge
of the circle on the summit of the plateau--we came to a grassy
_cuvette_, and then to another hollow with a few _burity_ palms. The
wall overlooking the great circular depression was perpendicular, of red
igneous rock, with projecting spurs ending in conical, much-corrugated
hills. The curious opening to the south-west was much broken up in two
places with gaps. In the distance beyond were three ranges of hills, the
colour of which appeared a pure cobalt blue.

The central crater was formed by rugged red walls with spurs on the