-76 SPORTING AND 



and brushwood, it was only for an hour or 

 so, instead of whole days and nights, as 

 was formerly the case. On the evening 

 of the third day we came in sight of the 

 high hill on which our enemies were perched ; 

 it certainly looked most unpromising, and 

 the nearer we approached, the more diffi- 

 cult it appeared. With the aid of our tele- 

 scopes and glasses we could see that they 

 had erected formidable stockades on the 

 side of the mountain, and, in some places 

 had swung huge chains from one large 

 tree to another; they had also erected 

 barricades in every place where such an 

 impediment was practicable. All this we 

 observed as we approached the base of the 

 mountain, and were now well assured that 

 we had very hard work cut out for us. By 

 the evening we had encamped on a nice 

 open bit of ground, which it appeared the 



