ii2 AVOYAGETO 



'779- covered with mofs, made them flumble at almoft every 



Tvlarch. ' 



ftep ; and the intermediate fpacc was a furface of loofe 

 burnt flones, which broke under their feet like potfherds. 

 They threw flones into fevcral of thefe chinks ; which, 

 by the noife they made, feemed to fall to a confiderable 

 depth, and the ground founded hollow under their feet. 

 Befides thefe difcouraging circumflances, they found their 

 guides fo averfe to going on, that they believed, what- 

 ever their own determinations might have been, they could 

 not have prevailed on them to remain out another night. 

 They, therefore, at laft agreed to return to the mips, after 

 taking a view of the country, from the higheft trees which 

 the place afforded. From this elevation they faw them- 

 felves furrounded, on all fides, with wood toward the fea ; 

 they could not diftinguifli, in the horizon, the fky from 

 the water ; and between them and the fnowy moun- 

 tain, was a valley about feven or eight miles broad, above 

 which the mountain appeared only as a hill of a moderate 

 iizc. 



They retted this night at a hut in the fecond wood, and 

 on the 30th, before noon, they had got clear of the firft, and 

 found thcmfelves about nine miles to the North Eaft of the 

 ihips, toward which they directed their march through the 

 plantations. As they palled along, they did not obferve a 

 fingle fpot of ground, that was capable of improvement, left 

 implanted ; and, indeed, it appeared, from their account, 

 hardly poflible for the country to be cultivated to greater 

 advantage for the purpoies of the inhabitants, or made to 

 yield them a larger fupply of neceffaries for their fubfift- 

 ence They were furprized to meet with fevcral fields of 

 hay; and on inquiring to what ufes it was applied, were 

 told, it was defigned to cover the young (arrow grounds, in 



order 



