The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1864-11-19
Notche. ON a pilgrim,. STAFF.
NOTCH NO. s.-rHH pEv1L's GATE.

N"Ai h"fo loi SotteH the StupenuOuS rl1t tnat
tearing the rock assunder, makes an exi
for the Sweetwater, few miles on tn,
GodSpeed side of that anomalous deposit,
which the loyalty of some adventurou
travellers has named Independence Rock.
As we had the honor of performing ,
series OF involuntary feats, in the descen
OF these tremendous cliffs, we purpose tc
inform sympathising public, how we were
thus compelled to odepartfromouru usual prac.
tlce, endangering our precious life, without
prospect OF adequate remuneration for such
risk. AS a matter of course, when we
arrived on the ground, we were informed
by Pilgrims from a "right smart" number
OF places, that it was duty to visit this
spot OF ill-omened name, and yielding to a
generous impulse to explore the magnif.
cent, off we started
Cup the high hill and Ger the huge round stone,
Pope improved by Pilgrim.
We accomplished about. half the ascent.
without the loss of anything but s'wind. d
At this point, however, while tightening
our faithful waistbelt, and doing roaring .
trade In converting oxygen into carbonic
acld gas, we became conscious of the i'm
mediate vicinity of junior canine, whose
birthplace on the banks Of the Don, at
Toronto, had determined his name. Of
him it may be said Multunr jactatus est
per te7riS ct alto. That is, much was he
Jolted on the Hannibal and st. Joe. Per-
lis innumerable had he endured from the
grave, yet all abiding malice of the mule
tribe; hair-breadth escapes from machine
ry In motion; alkali had done it's work on
him, but at this particular crisis of his
history, he was engaged in tearing out a
FEW thre ads from the neither portion Of our
continuo ti0ns. A few affectionate remarks,
slighs movement Of our right boot in the
direction of his left rear, and Don taking
the post of honor in retreat, accompanied
us in our ascent.
"Haaven from oil creatures hides the book of fate
We had a warning even here; for turning
round, to ascertain our apparent altitude,
We observed Mr.. Don, OF pinnacle of pre-
cipitous aspect, evidently determined to
wait for assistance ere descending. We
whistled seductively. TWAS in vain. Per-
forming lii tie Juba time. on our pants,
we added our most insinuating and seduc-
tive blandisl ments. But no! A tempest
OF caudal rev olutions and few faint barks
were our only response. Up we climbed,
and with oui' young friend nearer to our
bosom than welcome to our embrace, we
arrived at the foot of the rock, minus three
buttons, plus four scratches, breach of the
continuity in the back of our vest, and
preventing sedentary enjoyment
for fortnight. At last we reached the
top and looked down into the hole or,
more poesically-contemplated the awful
chasm before us. Drowning was impossi-
BILE, for our head began to swim at once,
and continued the movement. till we reach
ed the much desired level of the plain.
We paused and again looked down. s'No-
thing in it, we murmured, and commenced
our descent. Few incidents worthy of no.
tico occurred, until reaching place where
a monkey might have ceased to chatter, we
gracefully assumed recumbent position
and commenced practical exposition of
the sliding scale for some so feet, at an an
gle Of "a degrees, the rhingle rattling all
us in showers. Congratulating our
self on our progress, here arrested by
view of the naked perpendicular, not re-
We cast an upward glance at the
descent which our valvr had en-
abled us to pass in safety, and Jehoshaphat!
on the eliminating point, there sat the d0g!
For five minutes we contemplated the stu
alton. For ten minutes we exercised all
the energy of persuasion, Establishment,
seduction, soft sawder, and finally of mild
rebuke, with which our capacious memory
was stored. Don was immovable as the
granite on which he stood. Don't laugh.
1t was too horrible. Up we went, climbing
over rock that was as smooth as looking
glass, and covered with foot of shingle.
Half-road up, and twelve minutes gone
wheu, Je-ru- u-u-u-sa-a-lem-m-m! the shin
gle commenced the exposition of Sir Isaac
Newton's theory of gravitatton, and away
we went with it, arriving at the point of
departure, grievously afflicted in mind and
body. The anterior face Of the cuticular
of the tibia, in other words,
our shin-bears witness of the agOnies we
then endured, while the abrupt termination
Of our slide brought visions of innumerable
stars to our eyes. We heard some one
swear, just about this time, but think it
was recorded in the waste-book as acciden-
,al, and we hope it was never posted to our
account. I .a.E te.. ....
3 p. MAT it again; our watch remain
ing on boulder out of harms way. 3:l5
Nc redCueu Inc iop' o.Io VIC 81 dbDOu tnS
log. 500 we stied him about our neck.
,:2l we started. 3:2l I-2 we arrived. The
lbove times are approximations only. After
while, and lecturing our au-
iience on the imprcpriety of conduct before
we started again Shortly after,
he back seam of our pants did the same,
% an alarming extent However, we got
lown somehow.
"Unbonneted''and by the wave,
Sat down our hands and feet to lave;
We blew not then bugle
Undid the terrier from our throat.
And soon our tired yet hasty feet,
Trayersed the plains our friends to greet"
s9 [Iady of the Lake-improved edition.
4:5o we ascended the wagon and gave a
ew notes of our trip to our partners in dis
ress. I'VE conclude our remarks with an
,xtract from Paradise Lost. i So
~ 1pilgrim, should 'eer thy wayward feet
In journeying, chance Heil-gate to meet,
When ON the rock you've drunk your cup,
Come down the suy thst you went up."
Sxow- -nnop.---Nature's delicate announces