OR, THE LAKE LANDS OF CANADA. 



159 



this high cliff, and consequently it required only a few min- 

 utes' walk, when he was prepared to commence the ascent. 

 He had walked very rapidly during the latter part of the 

 day, was now greatly fatigued, and consequently he found 

 the ascent of the steep slope very difficult and even pain- 

 ful to him. The steepness of the acclivity was so great 

 that it was impossible for him to make a direct ascent of 

 its face ; so he was compelled to tack from one point to 

 another, in imitation of the course pursued by the mariner 

 under certain circumstances. The reader will readily 

 understand that, under these circumstances, it was im- 

 possible for the photographer to make very rapid progress 

 in the ascent; still he labored on, drawing himself up by 

 seizing hold of bushes or any other projecting substance, 

 frequently resting in order to gain strength to enable him 

 to make a new effort, and thus, after having spent an hour 

 in this severe toil, he finally reached the summit of the cliff 

 Let us now look upon him as he then appeared, after he 

 had accomplished the ascent and stood on the top of the 

 cliff, overlooking the lake and surrounding forest. The 

 reader would have pronounced him, even at this moment, a 

 strong, athletic man, but would have been surprised when 

 he observed that his face was livid, eyes protruding and 

 reddened, forehead, face, and hands covered with large 

 drops of perspiration, while every muscle in the poor suf- 

 ferer's body trembled from over-exertion. Thus appeared 

 our photographer when he first stepped forward on the 

 high cliff and gazed around him, but only for a few mo- 

 ments, when he was observed to totter and then sink down 

 upon the ground, where he remained prostrate for some 



