83 
TRAVELS 
had afcended four miles, the mountain began to aflume a flat- 
tifli and naked afped, without a Angle tree. It was wholly co¬ 
vered with the common mofs of the rein-deer, fave w 7 here this 
extenflve carpet was broken, and checquered with morafles, ba¬ 
tons of water, and lakes, altogether forming a landfcape the 
moft dreary and melancholy conceivable. There was nothing 
to engage our attention, to amufe our fancy, or to contole 
w * 
and cheer our fpirits. A vafl: expanfe lay before us, which we 
were to meafure with our feet, through morafles in which w r e 
were not without danger of being fwallow T ed up. On the fum- 
mit of this chain of mountains we traverfed a fpace of not lefs 
than Afteen Englifh miles, fometimes wrapped in a cloud, and 
tometimes marching over the fnow, though in the midfl: of fum- 
mer. The temperature of the air, in this elevation, had under¬ 
gone a conAderable change. Our thermometer indicated a re¬ 
markable difference of degrees from that of the furface of the river 
of Alten. This climate was not very inviting to the mufquetoes. 
If we had not been obliged to purfue our w r ay through a number 
of low fhrubs, we fliould have been but little troubled by them : 
but the fwarms that we raifed from the bufhes when we began to 
climb, accompanied us faithfully during the whole of our progrefs 
through the mountains. Even when our route lay through heights 
covered with fnow, our eternal foes purfued us ftill. Unfortu¬ 
nately it was a perfeft calm : not a breath of wind to drive away 
thofe peftiferous companions. 
In the courfe of our journey through thofe lofty and dreary re¬ 
gions. 
