JOURNEY TO BORGAFIORD. 
215 
mountains varied the line of the horizon. We 
had scarcely time sufficiently to admire this scene, 
when, on looking upwards, we saw approaching 
us a thick cloud, which, covering the summit of 
Skoul-a-fiel, rolled down the sides, accompanied 
by gusts of wind, still heavier than before, and 
soon enveloped us in so dense a fog that we could 
not discover each other even at a very few yards 
distance. We continued, however, to ascend by 
the assistance of the compass, and, when the mist 
had, for a short time, cleared away, we had the 
pleasure of finding that we had varied but little 
from our proper course. The nearer we ap¬ 
proached to the summit, the more steep we found 
the ascent, and the more narrow the ridge along 
which we had to pass; so that I was glad to be 
able to assist myself in climbing, by laying hold 
of a few pieces of rock, which, projecting here 
and there from among the loose ones, seemed 
to be still in their primaeval state. They lay in 
strata or laminae which were easily detached from 
one another; each stratum being vertical and not 
more than one or two inches thick. The whole 
was of a reddish yellow color, variously marked 
and spotted with white, green, and red, so as to 
have a very beautiful appearance. The highest 
summit was so much peaked, that it would 
scarcely afford standing room, even in calm wea¬ 
ther; and therefore, with the hurricane which 
