69 {174 J 
diameter, and apparently very deep. These lay in a kind of © ‘chasm ; and, et 
accorditig to the barometer, we had attained but a few hundred feet above 
the Island ps Se The barometer-here Stood at 20. 450, attached thermome- 
ter. 70°. : 
_We e manay ab get our oa up to a little bench A a hundred feet 
above the Pres: Where there was a patch of good grass, and turned them 
loose to graze. During our rough ride to this place, they had exhibited a 
wonder surelDotedness Parts of the defile were filled with angular, 
arp fragments.of rock, three or four and eight or ten feetcube; and aniong- 
‘ese they had asa their way, leaping from one narrow point to another, 
rarely making a false step, and giving tis no occasion to dismount. Having 
divested ourselves of every unnecessary encumbrance, we commenced the 
ascent: » This | time, like experienced travellers, we did not press ours stlves, 
but climbed leisurely, sitting down so soon as we found breath beginning: 
to fail, _ At intervals we reached places where a number of springs gushed 
from the rocks, arid about 1,800 feet aboye the lakes came to the snow line. 
From this 3 point our progress was uninterrupted climbing. Hitherto I had 
worn a L pair of thick moccasins, with soles of par fléche; abut here I put on 
hin vhich I had brought for the purpose, as nowsthe use of 
came n ary to a fyrther advance. Lavailed yself of a sort 
the mountain, which stood against the wall like a buttress, and 
com of | 
whith, the wind and the solar radiation, joined to the steepness of the smooth 
ae had kept almost entirely free from snow. Up this mademy w 
rapi idly. Our cautious method of advancing in the outset had spared my 
strength; and, with the exception of a slight disposition to headache, I felt 
no remains of ‘yesterday’ s illness. Ina few minutes we reached a ‘point 
the buttress was overhanging, and there was no other way of su 
gene difficulty than by passing around*one side of it, which — 
e of a vertical precipice c af saver, hundred feet. 
t ~ hands and feet in es between the blocks, I sucegeded 
ov er ep ands when I odes the top, found my companions ina 
Descending to them, we copinnes climbing, and in 
I sprang upon 
ae the. 2 it, and another 
uld have precipitated me inte an in now field five hundred 
| o the edge’ ofthis field was or i precipice ; and then, 
a a eet ‘ale he field lena off for about a wt Ba until it struck the 
foot of another lower ridge. I stood on a narrow crest, about three feet in 
width, with an inclination of about 20° N. 51° E. Assoon as I had grafi- 
fied the first feelings of curiosity, I descended, and each man ascended in 
his turn; for I would only allow one at a time to mount the unstable and 
precarious slab, which it seemed a breath would hurl into the abyss below. 
We mounted the barometer in the snow of the summit,and, fi xing a ramrod 
in a faved belor ages the national as to wave pp ue breeze where nevet 
g wave 
; but while 
bee (6romus, the humble dee) came 
‘alley. and lit on the kr ee of one of the 
= 
