36 
THE DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS. 
led me to compare this northwestern ridge to Bunyan’s 
Delectable Mountains; hut there was a time, only one 
year ago, when I used to gaze upon them with an eye 
of real longing. Very often, when they rose phantom¬ 
like into the sky, I would plan schemes by which to 
reach them, work over mentally my hard pilgrimage 
across the ice, and my escape from Doubting Castle to 
this scene of triumph and reward. Once upon your 
coasts, 0 inaccessible mountains, I would reach the 
Northern Ocean and gather together the remnants of 
poor Franklin’s company. These would be to me the 
orchards and vineyards and running fountains. The 
‘Lord of the Hill would see in me a pilgrim.’ ‘Lean¬ 
ing upon our staves, as is common with weary pilgrims 
when they stand to talk with any by the way,’ we 
would look down upon an open Polar sea, refulgent 
with northern sunshine. 
“I did try to gain these summits; and when I think 
of poor Baker’s and Pierre’s death, of my own almost 
fatalistic anxiety to cross the frozen sea, and of the 
terrible physical trial by which we saved our advance 
party, I cannot help dwelling, as something curious in 
its likeness, on another scene which Bunyan’s explorers 
witnessed among the Delectable Mountains. ‘They 
hied them first to the top of a hill called Error, which 
was very steep on the farthest side. So Christian and 
Hopeful looked down, and saw at the bottom several 
men dashed all to pieces by ft fall which they had from 
the top. 
“‘Then said the shepherds, “More than you see lie 
I 
