JOURNEY TO THE SILVER MINE 



and then the whole party rested for a few seconds. 

 It was really very interesting, in looking above 

 and below, to see these poor creatures, each lighted 

 by his candle, and climbing up the notched 

 stick with such a load upon his back, though I oc- 

 casionally was a little afraid lest one of those 

 above me might tumble, in which case we should 

 have all preceded him in his fall. 



We were quite exhausted when we came to the 

 mouth of the mine ; one of my party almost fainted, 

 and as the sun had long ago set, the air was so 

 bleak and freezing — we were so heated — and the 

 scene was so cheerless, that we were glad to hurry 

 into the hut, and to sit upon the ground round a 

 dish of meat, which had long been ready for us. 

 We had some brandy and sugar, and we soon 

 refreshed ourselves, and I then sent out for one of 

 the apires with his load. I put it on the ground^ 

 and endeavoured to rise with it, but could not, and 

 v/hen two or three of my party put it on my 

 shoulders I was barely able to walk under it. The 

 English miner who Avas with us was one of the 

 strongest men of all the Cornish party, yet he was 

 scarcely able to walk with it, and two of our party 



