10 3 AVOYAGETO 



1779- declined the offer, and foon withdrew to his cottage. He 

 was defcribed as by far the oldefl perfon any of the party had 

 ever feen, and judged to be, by thofe who computed his age 

 at the loweft, upward of ico years old. 



As our people had imagined the mountain not to be more 

 than ten or twelve miles from the bay, and confequently, 

 that they mould reach it with eafe early the next morning, 

 an error into which its great height had probably led them, 

 they were now much furprifed to find the diftance fcarce 

 perceptibly diminimed. This circumftance, together with 

 the uninhabited ftate of the country they were going to 

 enter, made it neceffary to procure a fupply of provifions ; 

 and for that purpofe they difpatched one of their guides 

 back to the village. Whilft they were waiting his return, 

 they were joined by fome of Kaoo's fervants, whom that 

 benevolent old man had fent after them, as foon as he heard 

 of their journey, laden with refreihments, and authorized, 

 as their route lay through his grounds, to demand and take 

 away whatever they might have occafion for. 



Our travellers were much aftoniflicd to find the cold here 

 fo intenfc ; but having no thermometer with them, could 

 judge of it only by their feelings ; which, from the warm 

 atmofphere they had left, muft have been a very fallacious 

 mcafurc. They found it, however, fo cold, that they could get 

 but little llecp, and the natives none at all ; both parties being 

 difturbed, the whole night, by continued coughing. As they 

 could not, at this time, be at any \ery confiderable height, 

 the diftance from the fea being only fix or feven miles, and 

 part of the road on- a very moderate afcent, this extraordinary 

 degree of cold mud be afenbed to the cailerly wind blow- 

 ing frefh over the fnowy mountains. 



Early 



