CLIMBma A MOUNTAIN. 273 



freshen, the Kipley's sails now swelled, and she cut her way 

 through the water, and rounded the point of land which formed 

 part of the harbour, and shot ahead towards the place where we 

 were standing. Our harbour represents the bottom of a large 

 bowl, in the centre of which our vessel is anchored, surrounded 

 by rocks full a thousand feet high, and the wildest-looking 

 place I was ever in. We went aboard, ate a hasty supper, and 

 all scampered ashore again, and climbed the nearest hills. But 

 John, Shattuck, and myself went up the harbour, and ascended 

 to the top of a mountain (for I cannot call it a hill), and there 

 we saw the crest of the island beneath our feet, all rocks, 

 barren, bare rocks, wild as the wildest Apennines. The moss 

 was only a few inches deep, and the soil beneath it so moist, 

 that whenever the declivities were much inclined, the whole 

 slipped from under us like an avalanche, and down we would 

 slide for feet, and sometimes yards. The labour of climbing 

 was excessive, and at the bottom of each ravine the scrub 

 bushes intercepted us for twenty or thirty paces, and we 

 scrambled over them with great effort and fatigue. On our 

 return we made one slide of forty or fifty feet, and brought up 

 in a little valley or pit filled with moss and mire. 



" July 15. We rose and breakfasted at three o'clock, every 

 one being eager to go ashore and explore this wild country. 

 But the wind was east, and the prospects of fine weather not 

 good. But two boats' crews of young men rowed off in different 

 directions, while I renewed my drawing. By ten the rain 

 poured, and the boats returned. 



"July 16. Another day of dirty weather, and obliged to 

 remain on board nearly all the day. Thermometer 52°, mos- 

 quitoes plenty. This evening the fog is so thick, that we 

 cannot see the summit of the rocks around us. 



" July 17. Mosquitoes so annoyed me last night that I did 

 not close my eyes. I tried the deck of the vessel, and although 

 the fog was as thick as fine rain, the air was filled with these 

 insects, and I went below and fought them until daylight, when 

 I had a roaring fire made and got rid of them. I have been 

 drawing part of the day, and besides several birds, I have out- 

 lined one of the mountainous hills near our vessel, as a back- 

 ground to my willow grouse. 



