m c kay's peak. 373 



There was a rocky hill, so remarkably formed 

 as to have attracted the attention o£ all of us for 

 some time. The base, which was equal in height 

 to the surrounding mountains, was one enormous 

 mass of round grey rock, surmounted by a large 

 cone of the same substance, which so exactly 

 resembled in outline the crater of a volcano, 

 and was withal so black, that it required no 

 straining of the imagination to conceive it one. 

 At a distance it was taken for an island ; but as 

 we advanced, we found it to be a part of the 

 eastern shore, and were soon made aware that 

 the contracted outlet of the river lay at its foot. 

 On our landing, the steersman volunteered to 

 ascend it, to get, as he termed it, " a good look 

 at the river;" and in consequence we christened 

 it M c Kay's Peak. From its giddy height the 

 rapid looked as even and smooth as oil ; and in 

 that supposition, having taken the precaution to 

 lighten the boat forward, we pushed off, and the 

 next minute were in it. I think I shall never for- 

 get the moment of the first descent down what 

 cannot be more fitly described than as a steep 

 hill. There was not, it is true, a single break in 

 the smoothness of the surface; but with such 

 wild swiftness were we borne along, that it 

 required our extremest efforts, the very tug of 

 life, to keep the boat clear of the gigantic waves 

 below : and we succeeded at last only to be 



b b 3 



