76 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
tion of the {pot where we were, till we gained the moun- 
tain of Taranta, at the foot of which we halted at nine in 
the morning. 
At half paft two o’clock in the afternoon we began to 
afcend the mountain, through a moft rocky, uneven road, if 
it can deferve the name, not only from its incredible fteep- 
nefs, but from the large holes and gullies made by the tor~ _ 
rents, and the huge monftrous fragments of rocks which, 
loofened by the water, had been tumbled down into our 
way. It was with great difficulty we could creep up, each 
man carrying his knapfack and arms; but it feemed beyond 
the poffibility of human ftrength to carry our baggage and 
inftruments. Our tent, indeed, fuffered nothing by its falls; 
but our telefcopes, time-keeper, and quadrant, were to be 
treated in a more <leliberate and tender manner. 
Our quadrant had hitherto been carried by eight men,, 
four to relieve each other; but thefe were ready to give up 
the undertaking upon trial of the firft few hundred yards. 
A number of expedients, fuch as trailing it on the ground, | 
(all equally fatal to the inftrument) were propofed. At laf, 
as Iwas incomparably the ftrongeft of the company, as well 
as the moft interefted, I, and a ftranger Moor who had fol- 
lowed us, carried the head of it for about 400. yards over 
the moft difficult and fteepeft part of the mountain, which 
before had been confidered as impracticable by all. ~ 
R : + 
YASINE was the name of that Moor, recommended to me 
by Metical Aga, of whom I have already fpoken a little, and, 
fhall be obliged to fay much more; a perfon whom I had 
diulcovered to be a man of a moft fagacious turn of mind, 
‘ firm 
