RIVER LIFE. 191 



ain, at this season of the year, is frequented by bears in pursuit 

 of cranberries, but we did not see any, though our gunner had 

 elijoined silence in hopes of obtaining a shot. I remained with 

 the rear, to see all up safe. The most zealous ' went ahead,' and 

 were soon out of sight, until, near the head of the slide, we heard 

 them from the distant topmost peaks calling out, ' Come on, ye 

 brave I' At this distance they looked very small in stature. 

 From the head of the slide we turned to the left, and ascended 

 northwest to the first and most eastern peak ; by this time our 

 comrades had reached the most western. We here paused to 

 view our position. It is perhaps the most favorable spot for 

 surveying the whole structure. From thence the principal peaks 

 are in a curved line, going southwest, then west and northwest. 

 The second peak, called by us the ' Chimney,' is near the first, 

 but separated by a sharp cut one hundred and fifty or two hund- 

 red feet deep, and nearly square in its form. We had seen one 

 of our comrades upon its summit, else we might not have attempt- 

 ed the ascent. His zeal seemed to blind him to danger, for, when 

 questioned on our return, he could neither tell lohcn or how he 

 ascended. Our first plan was to pass around the base without 

 going over the top ; but this we found impossible, and were about 

 to give up, when one pointed out a diagonal course, where, by 

 taking a few pretty long steps, he thought we could ascend. I 

 tried first, and succeeded, and all followed but two. From the 

 ' Chimney' we went from one hammock to another, making, on. 

 the whole, a gradual ascent, till we reached the middle of the 

 principal peaks, a distance of nearly half a mile. There we met 

 our comrades on their return from the western peak, and all sat 

 down to rest. Here we found a monument that had been erect- 

 ed by some former visitor, but was overgrown with moss, appear- 

 ing lonely, as if it had seen no relations for years. On the first 

 and most eastern peak, all the monuments which I had made the 

 year previous looked new and fresh. It is not easy to decide which 



