PLATEAU MOUNTAIN 143 



timbered ridges. Nothing but old moose tracks were 

 seen; and a few grouse, hawks, and rabbits. The latter 

 were then beginning to turn white. The bird migration 

 had mostly passed. 



September 29. We passed another congenial evening 

 in the cabin, and the following morning it was colder and 

 raining, while snow was falling on the mountains above. 

 My recording thermometer had been broken the night 

 before and I was unable to record any more tempera- 

 tures during the rest of the trip. Osgood and Rungius 

 started down river for the purpose of establishing a camp 

 near the Kalzas Mountains, while Selous and I made up 

 our packs and started to climb the mountain. It was 

 very steep in places and the walking was heart-breaking, 

 particularly on the lower slopes where large areas, burnt 

 over and storm-swept, were full of fallen spruce trees in 

 tangled masses, surrounded by a dense growth of dwarf 

 birch. Rabbits were very abundant, and a yellow-haired 

 porcupine was seen the only one noticed on our trip. 

 Red squirrels were everywhere, and the jays joined them 

 in -giving sounds of life. 



At 4 P. M., after a tedious climb, we reached a good 

 place to camp, about half a mile below timber-line, on the 

 slope of a narrow draw through which a swollen creek 

 rushed, leaping in cataracts as it descended through icy 

 gorges to the river below. Everything was covered with 

 fresh snow, which still continued to fall as we erected 

 the shelter and started the fire. 



September 30. The temperature fell at least to zero 

 and the morning dawned bright and clear, but a strong 



