Gilpin observer., 1899-07-27

to it's base by the way of the river
bank, and to where the cascade pour
ed over the rocks. waking the solemn
echoes of the otherwise silent ravine.
Their Instructions were to station
themselves near the rocks which bore
the Spanish legend-to keep a sharp
lookout on the face of the cliff and all
the way up to the grove of banana
trees that grew on its summit.
Aiily the cabin boy was left in charge
| OF the hut and boat, while Hislop,
with the rest of us advanced toward
the Gilt, up the sloping bank of which
f-its only accessible poiRtCVe Bpo-
ceeded to climb
1t was. on Is (twelas months San
make no chahge) huHdred and fifty
feet IN height. as I have stated, ris-
ing sharply up from the side OF the
great mountain, and is covered by a
jungle OF wild shrubs that must have
peen growing there since tho days of
the deluge.
The cFeepers with gummy branches,
the sharp serrated grass, the yellow
gourd vines. the wild tendrils and
names nor the nature, were there in
terwoven as closely as a herring net,
to the depth of seven or eight feet
from their roots.
Amid this jungle the hum of the
myriads of great insects which we
reused and dislodged was deafening;
while the black clouds of gad-fiies and
cockroaches were very bewildering,
and, to say the least, annoying.
We fioundered and fell as we waded
through this sea of leaves and verdi
ure; but rose and scrambled on again,
pausing ever and anon, breathless and
exhausted. to sit and fan ourselves, or
to aid in pulling each other out Of this
jungly network, for it resembied that
which sprang by magic spell around
the palace Of the sleeping beauty in
the old fairy tale to battle all intrud-
ers for hundred years.
His1op, who had not yet recovered
his strength, was among the first to
give in. and declare, when half way UP,
that she could climb no furtherv'
Two or three took advantage of this
| admission to remain with him for q
| time; but l, refreshed by a ripe ba-
mana which had fallen from the trees
at the top, and which I found lust
at hand. pushed on, and being lighter
| than any of my companions, got ahead
| of them ALL
After half an hours severe toll, dur
| ing which my, hands and knees were
lacerated and torn by sharp blades of
gigantic. grass, and by the gummy
| n which y, L
hered at times, reached at last the
banana trees. the foliage of which
waved like gigantic plume on the
summit of this isolated rock.
The banana rises with stem which
is about six or seven inches in diam
eter at the root, and from thence
tapers upward to the height of eighteen
or twenty feet. to where the leaves
spring like bright green tuft, broad
wavy, feathery, and dropping, as those
of the palW. do. .l III
l uttered shout-an 40 poeanv'-
to my companions. announcing that l
had gained the summit before them,
and armed with my only weapon, the
teak-wood spear, pushed my way for
ward between the smooth stems of the
bananas. till l reached the abrupt
brow OF the cliff. from the verge of
| which / saw, far down below, the
bright blue stream that rose on the
slopes of the great mountain. running
through the heart of the isle and gilt
tering in the setting sun among groves
and ravines, to where it poured in
foam upon the white sandy beach, and
mingled with the mighty Southern sea-
1 saw also the figures of Chute and
| Carlton, as they stood near the rock
which bore the inscription, but they
could neither distinguish me nor hear
my shout, which gave fresh ardor to
those whom I had left halfway down,
and who now resumed their ascent.
(To be continued)