MOUNT RAINIER 



that the face of the lateral moraine was almost per- 

 pendicular, and composed of loose stones, sand, and 

 gravel, furnishing a very uncertain foothold, besides 

 being about fifty feet high. Wah-pow-e-ty and I finally 

 succeeded in getting up, and with the aid of the rope 

 we assisted our companions to do the same. When 

 we reached the top we were a little surprised to find 

 that we had to go down-hill again to reach the moun- 

 tain side. Here a few stunted pines furnished us fuel 

 and shelter, and we rested for the remainder of the 

 day. I explored a little in the evening by ascending 

 the ridge from the glacier, and discovered that it would 

 be much the best route to pursue in ascending to the 

 summit. 



When night set in, the solitude of our camp was very 

 oppressive. We were near the limit of perpetual snow. 

 The water for our tea we obtained from the melting of 

 the ice near by. The atmosphere was very different 

 from what it was below, and singularly clear when not 

 obstructed by fog, rain, or snow. There were no 

 familiar objects to enable one to estimate distance. 

 When I caught a glimpse of the top of Rainier through 

 the clouds, I felt certain that we could reach it in three 

 hours. The only living things to be seen were some 

 animals, with regard to which we still labor under an 

 error. These little creatures would make their ap- 

 pearance on the side of the mountain in sight of our 

 camp, and feed upon herbage that grew on the soil 

 where the snow left it bare. The moment anyone 

 stirred from camp, a sound between a whistle and 

 scream would break unexpectedly and from some un- 

 known quarter, and immediately all the animals that 

 were in sight would vanish in the earth. Upon visit- 

 ing the spot where they disappeared, we would find a 

 burrow which was evidently the creatures' home. 

 Everywhere round the entrance we found great num- 

 bers of tracks, such as a lamb or kid would make. The 

 animals that we saw were about the size of kids, and 



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