DAYLIGHT 'AGAIN. 291 



miles each day, we attempted to escape out of the narrow 

 valley in which we were confined, in the hope of finding 

 clearer ground above. But the mountain sides were 

 too steep ; the horses rolled down one after another, 

 crashing amongst the fallen timber ; and we were com- 

 pelled to imitate the example of the King of Trance, 

 and come down again. On the 3rd we reached a marsh 

 about 300 yards in length, scantily covered with timber, 

 the first open space we had met with for ten days ; and 

 the change from the deep gloom of the forest to the 

 bright sunlight made our eyes blink indeed, but 

 produced a most cheering efiect on our spirits. The 

 horses here found plenty of pasture, although of poor 

 quahty — a great boon to them after their long course 

 of twigs and mare's-tail. This was altogether a 

 brighter day than common, for we met with several 

 patches of raspberries, as large as English garden- 

 fruit, and two species of bilberry, the size of sloes, 

 growing on bushes two feet high. The woods were 

 garnished with large fern, like the English male fern, 

 a tall and slender bracken, and quantities of the oak 

 and beech fern. We had the luck, too, to kill four 

 partridges for supper; and although the day was 

 showery, and we were completely soaked in pushing 

 through the underwood, we felt rather jollier that 

 night than we had done since the trail ended. 



Before evening we came to a rocky rapid stream 

 from the N.W. We all mounted our horses to 

 traverse it except Mr. O'B., who had never become 

 reconciled to riding since his dire experience along the 

 Eraser. What was to be done? Mr. O'B. obsti- 



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