THE TREK 



arise at 5 A.M. and commence the day's march at 6 A.M., 

 in order to avoid traveling in the hot sun, usually finish- 

 ing the trek at 12.30 to I P.M. 



We had ample opportunity to become acquainted 

 with the geography of the heavens as they appear in 

 the evening and early morning. The heavens south of 

 the equator are perhaps just as beautiful, but very 

 different from what Northern eyes are accustomed to, 

 and this made their study a continuing source of in- 

 terest. Orion, with dagger in belt, stood guard almost 

 over our heads as we retired at night, but most of our 

 well-known constellations were invisible. The Southern 

 Cross is the feature of the Southern Hemisphere, and, 

 though very beautiful, was somewhat disappointing. 

 Its shape hardly justifies its name of cross. It consists 

 of four bright stars; diamond-shaped, or kite-shaped 

 would better characterize them. The star at the apex of 

 the kite corresponds in its functions to our North Star 

 and marks the direction south. Our North Star is always 

 pointed by two stars in the Big Dipper; the star in the 

 apex of the Southern Cross is always in direct line with 

 and pointed by two bright stars, not a part of any con- 

 stellation. The cross, as well as these two stars, per- 

 form a diurnal revolution around this apex star, and 

 whatever its position the alignment of these three stars 

 is maintained. 



It was quite in the habit of showering about five 

 o'clock in the afternoon, after which the air was very 

 clear and the heavens very bright and beautiful. I never 

 saw stars, however, so multitudinous, so clear, so near, 

 and so beautiful as they appeared to me viewed from 

 the Selkirk Mountains, near the borders of Alaska. 



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