CORNUS. 



93 



" Our guide led us very artfully round to a part of the hill, where 

 it was evident, in the winter season, not streams of water, but great 

 rivers came pouring down from the hill in several channels, and those 

 (at least some of them) very broad ; they were overgrown on either 

 bank with alder-trees, so close and thick that we rode under them, 

 as in an harbour. In one of these channels we mounted the hill, as 

 the besiegers approach a fortified town by trenches, and were gotten 

 a great way up before we were well aware of it. 



" But, as we mounted, these channels lessened gradually, till at 

 length we had the shelter of the trees no longer ; and now we 

 ascended till we began to see some of the high hills, which before we 

 thought very lofty, lying under vis, low and humble, as if they were 

 part of the plain below, and yet the main hill seemed still to be but 

 beginning, or as if we were but entering upon it. 



"As we mounted higher we found the hill steeper than at first, 

 also our horses began to complain and draw their haunches up heavily, 

 so we went very softly ; however, we moved still, and went on, till 

 the height began to look really frightful, for, I must own, I wished 

 myself down again; and now we found use for the young fellows that 

 ran before us, for we began to fear, if our horses should stumble or 

 start, we might roll down the hill together ; and we began to talk of 

 alighting, but our guide called out and said, ' No, not yet, by and by 

 you shall ; ' and with this he bid the young fellows take our horses 

 by the head-stalls of the bridles and lead them. They did so, and 

 we rode up higher still, till at length our hearts failed us all together, 

 and we resolved to alight ; and though our guide mocked us, yet he 

 could not prevail or persuade us ; so we walked it upon our feet, 

 and with labour enough, and sometimes began to talk of going no 

 further. 



" We were the more uneasy about mounting higher, because we 

 all had a notion, that when we came to the top we should be just as 

 upon a pinnacle, that the hill narrowed to a point, and we should have 

 only room enough to stand, with a precipice every way round us, and 

 with these apprehensions we all sat down upon the ground, and said 

 we would go no further. 



"Our guide did not understand what we wete apprehensive of; 

 but at last by our discourse he perceived the mistake, and then not 

 mocking our fears, he told us, that indeed if it had been so, we had 

 been in the right, but he assured us there was room enough on the 

 top of the hill to run a race if we thought fit, and we need not fear 

 any thing of being blown off the precipice, as we had suggested ; so 

 he encouraging us we went on, and reached the top of the hill in 

 about half an hour more. 



" I must acknowledge I was agreeably surprised, when coming to 

 the top of the hill I saw before me a smooth, and with respect to what 

 we expected a most pleasant plain of at least half a mile in diameter, and 

 in the middle of it a large pond, or little lake of water, and the ground, 

 seeming to descend every way from the edges of the summit to the 

 pond, took off the little terror of the first prospect ; for when we 

 walked towards the pond, we could but just see over the edge of the 



