THE OLD TRAIL ALONG THE ERASER. 343 



cords of bark and deer-skin. These consisted of 

 a single long pole, supported by a cross-pole at 

 eacli end, the points of which rested against the 

 face of the precipice. There was nothing to lay- 

 hold of, and a slip or hasty step, as the pas- 

 sensrer walked along^ the rail embracino^ the face of 

 the rock, would cause the pole to swing away, 

 and hurl the incautious climber into the abyss 



below. 



The Bishop of Columbia, in his Journal, gives 

 a very graphic description of his journey along the 

 old trail, in which he compares his position to a 

 fly upon the face of a perpendicular wall, in this 

 case between 2,000 and 3,000 feet high. Many a 

 miner lost his life at Jackass Mountain and Nica- 

 ragua Shde — places of this kind. There was at 

 this time no other way to the mines except a 

 mule trail, little less difficult, passing high over 

 the mountain tops, and only available for a short 

 time in summer, on account of the snow. Supplies 

 were carried to the mines on the backs of the 

 miners themselves, or packed on Indians, who 

 carried from 100 to 150 pounds over this perilous 

 path. 



On our way we met many Indians still com- 

 peting with the mule-trains. Some of the men 

 were loaded with 150 pounds, supporting them by a 

 strap across the forehead ; the women carried 50 or 

 100 pounds ; and one squaw we met had on her back 

 a fifty-pound sack of flour, on that a box of candles, 

 and on the top of the box a child. They seemed 



