An Excursion Inland. 89 



hard, and there was therefore no prospect of our de- 

 parture, I induced the doctor to accompany me on 

 shore for a walk, my object being to proceed a little 

 distance from the settlement and then ascend one 

 of the hills in its vicinity. Arming* myself with a 

 long boat-hook staff, to serve the purpose of an 

 alpenstock, and the doctor taking with him his 

 gun, we left the ship. We called at the Governor's 

 house on landing, to leave some letters, and he 

 attempted to dissuade us from our purpose, or, if 

 we were resolved upon going, at least to take a 

 guide ; but being unable to procure the services of 

 one, he kindly offered to accompany us as far as 

 the mouth of the Red River, about a mile from the 

 settlement, an offer which we gladly accepted. 



Arriving at this place, he told us if we kept to 

 the banks of the river we should be perfectly safe, 

 as we could always retrace our footsteps, and bid- 

 ding us good-bye turned homewards. 



We continued for some little way skirting the 

 edge of this small stream, though gradually ascend- 

 ing, until we had attained the estimated height of 

 seven or eight hundred feet, when our attention 

 was attracted by the rushing of water, and we ob- 

 served away to our right a cascade descending over 

 the rocks, evidently the source of the river along 

 whose banks we had been toiling, whilst a deep and 

 sombre-looking ravine branched away to the left. 



As it was impossible to . cross this ravine, the 

 sides of which were not only precipitous, but in 



