The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-11-22
Miscellaneous.
IN THE LIONS DEN.

A STORY TOLD ON 4 MOUNTAIN TOP
"Nice place to dine; isn't it?' said
Frank Lightfoot, as we seated ourselves
round our well-filled provision bag on
the summit of Mout Blanc, with the
panorama of forty-eight mountain
ranges outspread beneath US, and the
echo of the Chamouni cannon still in
our ears. 81 wonder whether the march
of civilization will ever erect hotel up
here; there's just room for moderate.
sized one.
"Aud Photographic studio at the
head of the corridor, and a telegraph
station at the Grands Mulets, and a post
Office beside the Chalet de la Pierre
Pointue, and anything else in small
way, eh, Master Frank ?n chimed in
Harry Sinbad, who had gone through
nearly as many voyages and adventures
as his illustrious namesake and had
just accompanied us up Mont Blanc as
slight repose before crossing into Alge.
ria via Marseilles.
"Nobody knows what may happen,"
replied Frank sententiously "you
wouldn't have expected, this time last
year, to be dining three miles above the
sea TO day!'
"Well, I had funny kind of dinner
last Autumn" said Lightfoot, "when
my guide and got caught by mist
on the Grand Combin. We piled stones
to keep off the wind and behind them
we shared our rum and cold mutton, as
if we had been in the trenches bafore
Sevastopol."
"Well, L can beat you both there"
said Harry with a chuckle; "for I've
had dinner worth any three of those,
though I'd hardly care to try it again ;
but it's long story"
"Never mind" said l "wc have lot'
of time"
"I'm your man, sir" responded Sin
bad "but, before I begin, does either
Of you know where Fernando de No
ronha Isl"
"Never heard of him." said Frank,
who is not exactly qualified for geo
graphical professorship: sis he any re
lation of Fernando Wood, over il
America"
"None of your nonsense, Frank"
interposed sternly. Fernando d.
Noronha is Il small island off the coGs
of Brazil, though in what latitude 0
longitude | would rather not guess, if
were up for civil.service eXamina
ton"
"True, o king" said Harry: "nor
power TO your atlas for that same. Wei
as / was going to tell you, it was tow
ards the end Of my third month in Ri
. de Janeiro that [ began to think q
shifting my quarters. Had INTENDED
making scientific explorations q
5 Humboldt, or going in search of bi
: trees, like that fellow who went up tn
y Rio Madeira the other day, thre
! months would have been rather shoi
t measure; hut rs it was, had seen all
d cared to see. | had walked round IL
harhor tho triAe of walk either, mar
It vel and counted the flags of 56nation,
IS | had eaten oranges at four in the NOR
e ing in the groves outside the town, an
GG dived by moonlight through the re
lers,' on the shore had bought sou
n very good local views on the plaza, al
" taken some very bad sketches from Il
ne bay; ! had been bitten by tarantu
(if Mat was any good; and / had liv'
at Petropolis in charming little will
No with painted veranda and projectil
. roof, hidden, like a humming, Dir(
e. nest, in q basket of broad leaved, trol
i cal foliage-a perfect gem of quiet bea
III ty altogether.
"a: "Petropolis is place about four mi
rs, from the town, where the grandees a
d. most of the merchants live during
7 heat Of Summer-much the sal
thing, in fact, with regard to Rio, Il
a Tsarskoe Cello is to st. Petersburg,
81 Tientsin TO Peking. Well, as
saying, began to plan my next mo
and made up my mind to do some v
age or othorin new direction, whel
inSdl might see something a little out of
,,eeTr,, ordinary run; for just then, as it h
Do pened, was rather tired of perpet
lso coat, hat, and umbrella; of smok
Se ,sre paper cigars, ,chattering bad Portugu
s,o and dining on monkey soup and II