418 The Hunting Grounds 



on the same level as the bed of the stream ; but it 

 now began to ascend gradually, and at last we found 

 ourselves scrambling up the face of a steep scarped 

 cliff, from a chasm in the base of which the torrent 

 burst, as it were, from the womb of the mountain. 

 Our guide evidently knew the country well, for the 

 route was admirably chosen, and he led us up the 

 steepest ascents with an easy inclination that would 

 have done credit to the most able engineer. The 

 surface of the rock, without being so very smooth as 

 to render our horses' footing insecure, presented no 

 very serious obstacle, so that we got on famously, 

 and by noon reached a natural clearing in the woods, 

 carpeted with rich indigenous grasses and flowers of 

 the most delicate tints, and intersected with nu- 

 merous small streams of crystal clearness that flowed 

 in little murmuring cascades down the side of the 

 mountain. 



We continued to ascend until dusk, when we en- 

 camped for the night under the lee of a huge mass of 

 black granite, which exposure to the weather bad 

 made as smooth as if it had been artificially polished. 

 Eising with the sun, the following morning, and in- 

 vigorated by the bracing air, we gained the table-land 

 on the summit, after a tramp of about four hours' 

 duration. 



It was from this spot that we got the first unin- 

 terrupted view of the mighty El-Bruz, on whose snow- 



