A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



97 



roaring of the hurricane still seemed to din in my ears, and as 

 yet we had no shelter within our reach. After having filled our 

 gourds, we recommenced our cUmbing, enlivened by I'Encuerado, 

 who kept on congratulating Gringalet upon his discovery, and 

 promising him, as his reward, a whole series of good dinners. 



The hour was now approaching at which we feared that the 

 hurricane would recommence with redoubled violence ; so it 

 became highly necessary to select a spot for our bivouac. Moss 

 and lichens here covered the rocks with a variegated carpet, 

 and, in proportion as we ascended the mountain, the cooler air 



relieved our lungs. At length our ascent came to an end, and we 

 found ourselves on a plateau dotted over with stunted shrubs, 

 distorted and twisted with the winds and storms. Fresh sum- 

 mits rose in front of us, but they were too far off to cause us any 

 fear. Sumichrast halted near three gigantic stones, placed so as 

 to leave a space between them, in which we could encamp, as if 

 in a fortress. 



This spot we selected for our bivouac. The wind still blew in 

 squalls, but the increased clearing of the atmosphere gave us 

 reason to hope that we should have nothing more to fear from 



