128 ON THE FEONTIEK. 



thousand tints of autumn, and we seemed to be gazing on 

 Fairyland. 



Our progress was necessarily slow ; for though, when our 

 course led over open grass-land, we travelled at the regu- 

 lation pace for loaded mule-trains three miles an hour 

 we had many times to cross side streams, and often the 

 main one, on which occasions roads had to be cut through 

 their bordering fringes of timber and jungle, while when 

 crossing the main creek, fords had to be found, for in many 

 places it was deep and turbulent. 



In the afternoon of the third day we reached a spot 

 near the upper end of the central or chief valley, which 

 was so well adapted for the site of our winter quarters 

 that we halted, aad at once commenced operations. A 

 "lean-to," for a residence, was thus built. Three forked 

 oak posts were planted firmly in the ground and twelve 

 feet apart. In these forks, at a height of six feet 

 from the ground, were laid two spruce-fir boles forming 

 a " ridgepole ;" light poles were placed against it, six 

 inches apart, and extending backward at an angle with 

 the ground of forty degrees, and forming the rafters of 

 a roof sloping from the ridgepole to the earth ; against 

 these was placed a layer of cedar boughs, with the leaves 

 pointing downwards and several feet thick, making a 

 shelter impervious to rain, snow, or wind. Twenty feet 

 in front of our lean-to was built our fire a permanent 

 institution. It was laid for the whole length of our 

 shelter composed of trunks of trees, and was to be kept 

 alight while we remained. Beyond the fire, at a similar 

 distance from it, a " hitching-bar " was put up, to fasten 



