DEER TRACKS. 109 



found myself suddenly and without premonition within a few feet 

 of a perpendicular wall of rock, — in fact once a regular precipice 

 reaching several hundred feet below and nearly to the sea level. 

 The whole ridge is divided by a deep gully through which a large 

 stream flows from a chain of ponds, the first of which could be 

 barely seen in the distance, and which is full of trout, the inhabi- 

 tants tell me. Between the shore and the southwest side of this 

 stream the ridges continue but they are cut up with more gorges 

 than the northeastern portion. I found no less than three deep 

 clefts, starting from near a common centre and running in contrary 

 directions down to the sea. Beyond is a deep cliff, and several small 

 gullies, running into a large open place that must have reached 

 nearly to the sea level, which presented an almost impassable bar- 

 rier to the coast line. After a long detour I at length reached the 

 beach, or rather the place where there might have been a beach, and 

 found nothing but rock close to the edge of the water, with no sign 

 of a footing anywhere. I clambered over the rocks for about three- 

 quarters of a mile and found a perpendicular face of rock that 

 must be climbed or return must be made as I had come. De- 

 termined not to return I with difficulty climbed over one hundred 

 feet of this precipice, when I am confident that a single false step 

 would have sent me to the rocks at the bottom, and thence around 

 the edge of the face of the rock. I had but about two miles to 

 go to reach home, but three times I was obliged to climb steep 

 heights from near the sea level to about two hundred and fifty feet 

 above (where often the undergrowth of thick and tangled spruce 

 alone would have made the ascent quite difficult) and three times 

 descend again. It was half tide and I could not walk around as it 

 is possible to do at dead low tide. The top level of the hills above 

 was protected by overhanging ledges so that I could not ascend 

 them ; thus I was obliged to pursue a winding course over the 

 outstanding ridges of the rocks to the eastern face of the cliff. 

 It took full five hours for me to accomplish the distance home, 

 short as it was. 



Friday the 5 th. This morning I saw the tracks of a small herd 

 of deer that had passed during the night. They were plainly 



