Butte record., 1855-09-29

considered by the natives as a dangerous
ing hunter, being full Of rocky caves iu-
accessible to anything but to the beasts
to whom they afforded shrlter and the
country in this vicinity being covered.
with dense forcsts, and da tangled
juugles, into which the foot Of man had
never yentured.
As we approached the mount 'ins, our
progress indeed became more and more
difficult. Tniek bushes and fallen tim
Der frequently obstructed our way. Now
We were stepping from ore slippery rock
to another, through rapid and roaring
stream-now travelling miles to avoid
impen traile jungles, that stretched Tx
vast shadows through the dim WOOD -
no" turned IF at right angles BY = hi.h.
bold ledge Of rock, through wb use solid
front, ough ruggd and unequal, no
opening could be found, aD / whosr over
h anging summit croune2, with trees and
shrubs, forbad the thought of ascent.
Nearly every appe' rance OF game ceased
h re- The animals had fed this region,
or had fallen prey to the more lordly
species Of the brute creation.
Occasionally, We heard the crashing of
the boug's and caught glimpse Of SOM
movIrg object in the dark rec sses Of the
thic6ets, or saw the spotted d folds # the
c,bra capelln, and other fearf.l snakes,
, glide away and disappear among tn
leaves and thick brusA, a~ though startled
at onr approach. But thus tar we lad
proc, cdrd so cautiously as not to disturb
these dangerous creatures, or attract
ten att ntion. Ny companion woulo
frequently pause, in listening attitude
and cast his piercing glance into the rer
tops hich met above US, and cnmplete'v
sut out the light of day, as though he
expected to sec the crouchinG tige't. Or
the frishtful antconda, ready tn dart
upon us; and yet there was p Express.
ion of fear upon the FLOW coontcnsnce
it was the caution Of re uue huntrr
W" spoke not word b,.t continued to
wcnd our way as nniseless as possible
towards the base of ,he mountain who's
lofty cliffs and pr -cipices Of rock We be-
gan to see, gle ming through the trees
and folla -e, clustered here and tn re
upon them. The ascent here, unlike
m"S' elevations, was very st'e ep from the
hr~t, ard we were obliged to toll hand
and foot in 0 der to make and progress.
! We had accomplished nearly one halt
Of the ascent, and saw the i'm ense vii.
! derness stretching aw.y on every de
below US, when we were stopprd by -
wall Of rock, rising perpendicu arly in
many places to the height Of several
hundred feet, and running across the
+ face of the mountain, to the right and
left, unit the eye lost it, curve N either
side. Seeing no way of passing over,
under, or through the obstacle, directed
the native to follow the ledge a short
distance towards the left, in ord,-r 10 find
an opening while l took the right. |
proceeded some distance and break in
the rock thought we nj ght make our way
to the top. 1t hid been formed ap-
parently bv convuisi"n Of natu e,wh ch
had separated the rock several feet, and
detached large ffagn nts from thr top !;
these had fallen-some Of THIN to the
bottom, but many had lodged in various
places. Trees hid grown up in this
opening, and bushes had sprung from
every creviee along its sid $, filing il up
so complet ly that only an occasional
glimpse could be had of the sky through
the top, which appeared no wider than
ones hand.
While contemplating this very singular
Arrangement, the native made his ap-
pearance, and after attentively consider
ing the opcning, he sid he could make
the ascent. At this moment a sudd-n
current Of air, bursting through the ere
vice, parted the bushes and disclosed to
US, little beyond, spot where the rock
seemed no longer entire We had pro-
cerded along this passage, which was
nearly block d up by the trees and bushes
until we reached tn point and were
convinced at once the ascent would not
DC difficult. The cr,1iee widened here,
and it struck me in particular, that it
SCENT II longer a rent, bu; I natural