P^olcavk Motini<.vn in St. Vincent's. 21 



very faithful to me during -tkis excurlion^ being very active and 

 hardy: 1 do not know if i could have gone throuigh this, fa- 

 tigue had it not been for his afiti^ance. 1 aaow determined to 

 commence this day's route up the ravin, as it icemed to- widen 

 a^iid apparently run a confiderable way up in the direction I 

 wiflied for; and if I could get out of it upon the other ridge,, 

 it would at kail be two miles nearer than the way I had at- 

 tempted yefterday, and probably, after getting out of it, I 

 might £nd wood eafier of accefs. In this ravin I got up about 

 a mile and a half, without meetkig with any contiderable ob- 

 flruttion. Encouraged by getting fo far, aUhough the jraviii- 

 was narrowing fail, with numbers of rocks and precipicss^ to> 

 climb over, with vines and bufties difficult to get tlnough, I 

 was reiblved to perfifb m this route, and determined by every: 

 poffible means to get to the Qbje(£l of my wifbes^ well knowing 

 if I could not perform it this way, I might abandon it entirely* 

 After climbing over a number of difficult paffes,, tihe raviii ter- 

 minated at the bottom of a very high precipice ; how far it- 

 was to the fummit I did not know, being covered toward tlie- 

 top with thick wood ; but from the bottom upwards it 

 was loofe fand as far as 1 could fee, with ferns and tufts of 

 grafs, which, as feon as I took hold of them, came our 

 at the roots. The precipice being fo very fteep, with no trees 

 or buffies on it to affift me in getting up^ I plainly faw the at- 

 tempting to climb it was at the riik of my life : however, I 

 was refolved to try it, and telling the boy to keep fome diflance 

 behind me, in cafe I fhould tumble and drive him down along 

 with me, I began to afcend, holding the tufts of grafs as 

 lightly as poffible, and digging holes with my cutlafs to put 

 my feet in ; but I often lofl: my hold, and frequently flipped. 

 down a confiderable diftance ; however, as it was nothing but 



loQfe 



