in THE VAUGACULLEN 49 



his majesty. It was uncommon hard work, that self- 

 same climb ; but no doubt I thought it harder than it 

 really was, having had a hardish scramble instead of 

 sleep all the night before. Gigantic ferns growing 

 on a slope so steep, that had it not been for 

 these ferns, I don't think I could have got up, 

 pushed me back in the most rough and uncouth 

 manner ; but they must be excused on the plea that 

 it is seldom indeed that they see visitors ; but I was 

 not going to be beaten by them. I had fixed my 

 eye on a place from which I could see (as I thought) 

 all the mountain, and get there I was determined I 

 should ; so at last, after passing one or two ticklish- 

 looking places, I arrived safe and sound on the little gap 

 that I had marked with my glasses from below. What 

 was my disgust when I found that I was cut off from the 

 real Vaugacullen by a deep black ravine, the sides being 

 formed by gigantic precipices. It looks as if the mountain 

 had been split in two, rendering it, as I at once saw, 

 perfectly inaccessible to anything at this side. I then 

 examined the part I had come up, and found that I 

 had most likely come up the only accessible way, which 

 was, in fact, nothing more than a narrow niche, in which 

 ferns had grown, and by pulling yourself up with these 

 you managed to get up a place that otherwise no one 

 could have got up. After examining as much as I 

 could of the mountain, I retraced my steps and found 

 Clay and Bicknall in a great fright, thinking something 

 must have happened to me, as I had unintentionally 

 stayed away three hours. The row back in the boat 

 was dreadfully cold work. The next morning I 

 started early for my friend again. I enjoyed the row 

 there immensely ; I had a much better boat and men 

 than the night before, and I was only too glad of 

 having another opportunity of examining the mountain. 



