MOUNT RAINIER 



between the angle and each end of the ridge which 

 give to the summit the appearance of three small peaks 

 as seen from the east or west. When viewed from north 

 or south, a rounded summit is all that can be seen ; 

 while viewed from positions between the cardinal 

 points of the compass, the mountain generally has the 

 appearance of two peaks. 



The night was very cold and clear after our return. 

 We had some idea of making another ascent ; but an 

 investigation into the state of our provisions, together 

 with the condition of the party generally, determined 

 us to begin our return on the morning of the eighth 

 day. The two soldiers had eaten all their bread but 

 one cracker each. The doctor and I had enough left, 

 so that by a redistribution we had four crackers each, 

 with which to return over a space that had required 

 seven days of travel coming. We, of course, expected 

 to be a shorter time getting back ; but let it be ever 

 so short, our prospect for something to eat was pro- 

 portionately much more limited. We had more meat 

 than bread, thanks to the deer the Indian had killed, 

 and we depended greatly on his killing more game for 

 us going back : but this dependence, too, was cut off ; 

 the Indian was snow-blind, and needed our help to 

 guide him. His groans disturbed us during the night, 

 and what was our astonishment in the morning to find 

 his eyelids closed with inflammation, and so swollen 

 that he looked as if he had been in a free fight and got 

 the worst of it. He could not have told a deer from a 

 stump the length of his little old rifle. 



Our camp was about 1,000 or 1,500 feet below the 

 last visible shrub ; water boiled at 199, and, according 

 to an approximate scale we had with us, this indicated 

 an elevation of 7,000 feet. We estimated the highest 

 peak to be over 12,000 feet high. I greatly regretted 

 not being able to get the boiling-point on the top, but 

 it was impossible to have had a fire in such a wind as 

 prevailed round the summit. 



