XVni ITINERARY. 



heavier loads, had got through so easily, and returned in apparently- 

 very good fettle. 



It was a great relief when we got through this part up on to the 

 slope of the ridge where the trail was still bad over rocks arid tree- 

 roots, but yet not steep. "We felt very glad that the earlier part had 

 not come when the light might not be very good ; but, as it happened, 

 we soon came upon the camp, which Ritchie had wisely pitched not 

 very far on, considering the nature of the path on the ascent, the 

 double journey for many, and the fact that it was the first day for such 

 loads. It had not rained, but we were wet through with perspiration 

 from the unusual exertion, in which we had at times been creeping or 

 straddling, clinging on, climbing, and hauling ourselves for security. 



Now we learnt that almost certainly Pembroke was malingering, 

 and that nothing was the matter with his knee, which had been 

 prepared elaborately to deceive us. Though he had started strongly from 

 the camp in the morning with Gold, his canal companion, he had soon 

 begun to drop behind the Indians, so that the two were by themselves 

 when they reached the really dangerous steep rocky lidges. Here the 

 " old warrior" had stopped and told Gold to go on alone — " me no go 

 bruk me neck pon dem mountain " ; and he had waited to come back 

 to camp when we were starting, and there would be the least chance of 

 the knee being examined. 



It appeared that, on the journey up, he had been thoroughly fed up 

 and frightened by what the others had told him of the nature of the 

 overland parts, and after Kaburi he had constantly asseverated — 

 " Me no go pon dem mountain." He had been a fine captain in 

 McOonnell's various hunting-trips on the coast, and McOonnell had 

 only brought him with great reluctance and after much begging that 

 he be allowed to come, in spite of all the descriptions given of the kind 

 of climbing, which evidently the man had either not believed or under- 

 stood. He had never seen mountains before — now it was quite another 

 thing ; and besides he had suflfered already, even before he had got to 

 them. It was more than too much ! 



McConnell was somewhat chagrined at the fraud, though he had 

 been somewhat suspicious at the time. He took the philosophic view, 

 however, that doubtless it was the best thing, as probably we might 

 have had to deal with a real and serious accident, if not here perhaps 

 at some even more inconvenient place ; and with the consideration 

 that "he laughs longest who laughs last," he said the man would 

 hardly be proud of himself when he found he did not get even a cent 

 for the trip. As a fact, the lesson was taught for some weeks, but, 

 eventually, after much begging pardon, he was given a few dollars. 



It was lucky for us the next day that two Indians, of those who had 

 put up the houses, came along the path. They readily turned back to 

 act as guides and carriers. There were no side trails at the first part, 

 but later there were several that branched ofi"' to various parts of the 

 upper river, and we should have been quite at a loss to know which 

 was ours, for the main trail is not necessarily either the widest or the 

 straightest, and we did not even know that ours was the main track. 

 Whenever we passed side-tracks afterwards, our guides at once broke 

 ofif a small leafy branch and placed it aicross the opening, which was 



