Himting in the Selkirks. 133 



we could see nothing of the country on the side where 

 we were camped ; but across the water the immense moun- 

 tain masses stretched away from our vision, range upon 

 range, until they turned to a glittering throng of ice peaks 

 and snow fields, the feeding beds of glaciers. Between 

 the lake and the snow range were chains of gray rock 

 peaks, and the mountain sides and valleys were covered 

 by the primeval forest. The woods were on fire across 

 the lake from our camp, burning steadily. At night the 

 scene was very grand, as the fire worked slowly across the 

 mountain sides in immense zigzags of quivering red ; 

 while at times isolated pines of unusual size kindled, and 

 flamed for hours, like the torches of a giant. Finally the 

 smoke grew so thick as to screen from our views the grand 

 landscape opposite. 



We had come down from a week's fruitless hunting in 

 the mountains ; a week of excessive toil, in a country 

 where we saw no game — for in our ignorance we had 

 wasted time, not going straight back to the high ranges, 

 from which the game had not yet descended. After three 

 or four days of rest, and of feasting on trout — a welcome 

 relief to the monotony of frying-pan bread and coarse salt 

 pork — we were ready for another trial ; and early one 

 morning we made the start. Having to pack everything 

 for a fortnight's use on our backs, through an excessively 

 rough country, we of course travelled as light as possible, 

 leaving almost all we had with the tent- and boat. Each 

 took his own blanket ; and among us we carried a frying- 

 pan, a teapot, flour, pork, salt, tea, and matches. I also 

 took a jacket, a spare pair of socks, some handkerchiefs. 



