At sun-set the Thermometer was at 54° and the Barometer stood at 26in 5opts which made our height from the sea 3510 feet.
I4th. At sun-rise next morning the Thermometer was so low as 41°, which was lower by two degrees than we found it near the upper edge of the wood on Whararai at the same time of the day, and yet we were not here advanced half way up the woody region of the Mountain. Whether this diffusion of cold much lower down be owing to there being but little wood on this side of the mountain or to its being a much greater body than Whara rai, I cannot take upon me to say, as I have not sufficient data to determine, but the air was at this time so chilly, and the natives complained so much of the cold that we did not stir from the place of our encampment till after breakfast when we again set forward up the Mountain in a reversed oblique direction to what we came the day before, but in so winding and circuitous a man ner, and through such pathless and rugged tracts, avoiding the clumps of forests here and there, that had we not had good guides with us we should have met with insurmountable difficulties.
We had sight now and then of the lower edge of the snow which did not appear to be far above us : we therefore began to enter tain the most sanguine hopes of reaching it at least, should we not be able to accomplish the full extent of our object in getting to the summit. In the afternoon we turned our faces more di rectly up the mountain when we found the ascent very steep and rugged and consequently more fatiguing. Towards evening we reached the upper verge of the forest, nearly over Tepapala, where we encamped for the conveniency of having wood at hand to burn and erect our huts with. The natives having pitched upon a clear spot overgrown only with strong tall grass, they all set to work, and in the course of about two hours erected a small village of huts sufficient to shelter themselves and us com fortably for the night. These huts tho' finished with such hurry were neatly constructed and well thatched all over with long grass : a large one was built in the middle of the village for us to eat and set in, besides a small one for each of us to sleep in, where they spread our bedding on a thick layer of long grass, so that we enjoyed our repose comfortably as we could wish.
While this business was going forward one of the gentlemen laying down his knife carelessly had it stole from him : this was made known to Rookea, who immediately caused diligent search to be made for it and made such a stir about it amongst the whole party that it was soon found again, and one of the strangers who followed us up was suspected of having conceald it, for which the Chief was in such a rage at him, for this act of dishonesty that he would certaintly have put an end to his existence, on the spot ; by plunging the knife into his body, had we not interfered at the moment he had his hand lifted over him to commit the horrid deed: he then peremptorily ordered him to quit the encampment and not to show his face again amongst the party.
This was the only instance of an attempt to pilfer from us the least article during the whole journey, though we were often surrounded by immense crowds, and even at this time, what with men and women who followed us up the mountain through curiosity, and our own attendants, who carried bedding, water, and provisions of every kind for themselves and us we were very little short of a hundred people in the party.
In this day's march we saw many strange-looking plants dif ferent from any we had before observed, but very few of them being in either flower or seed it was not possible to make out what they were. Near our encampment I found a large beauti ful species of Vicia clambering up amongst the thickets in full bloom.
Being now at the upper edge of the forest I observed the Baro meter at six in the evening, when it stood at 23in 73pts which is equal to 650o ft. in altitude, and this may be considered as the height at which the wood ceases to grow upon this immense mountain. The Thermometer, observed at the same time, was at 41°, and as we had heated ourselves a good deal in this day's march up the mountain we felt the air after sunset remarkably chilly and cold, which induced us to keep large fires burning near our huts during the whole night : notwithstanding this precaution many of the natives were so restless with the cold & continued coughing that they enjoyed very little repose, and not indeed without cause, for when we got up next morning the Thermometer was at 28° and the grass which grew about our huts was so stiff and whitened by hoar frost, and the earth that was anywise moist or swampy was encrusted with icy concretions about our encamp ment.