Vamps and Tramps About Ktaadu. 



811 



WOOD INTERIOR ON MOUNT TURNER. 



and the great bronzed and many-tinted leaves of the moose-wood. 

 The Don pronounced the view of Ktaadn " grand, but not pictorial." 

 When rallied about getting lost, D.e Woods simply told the story of 

 the Indian found wandering to and fro in the wilderness, against 

 whom a similar charge was made. " Lost ! " growled he ; " Indian 

 no lost, Indian here ; wigwam lost." 



On the morning of the 16th, Don Cathedra and 1, with two 

 guides, started toward the Great Basin, lying in the mountain in 

 rear of the pyramid. Two other guides had preceded us, with pro- 

 visions for the whole party ; they were to return the same day, and 

 to go up with the others in the morning. I started earlier, not 

 expecting to be able to make the whole ten difficult miles in one 

 day ; but after various halts, we reached the Basin at 5 P. m. and 

 pitched our camp. Being too tired to sleep, I lay for hours in this 

 solemn amphitheater, watching the moon-lit clouds drift over its 

 ragged summit, but not yet appreciating its vastness and its awful 

 grandeur, for the night was singularly mild, and there was no sound 

 but the soft sighing of the wind in the evergreens, as an occasional 

 current circled around the Basin. I was yet to hear the sounds and 

 see the sights of that great gulf. 



The first half of our journey was through a comparatively level 

 country, over the remains of an old lumbering road. While there 

 was much good walking, there were occasional swamps over which 

 the footing of stumps and slippery logs was made still more prccari- 



