ld be called a flat (though it was in
reality only the sloping delta of a stream that descended from the pass)
before reaching a large glacier that had encroached on the river-bed,
which it traversed at right angles for a considerable distance.

Here he again camped, hobbled his horse, and turned him adrift, hoping
that he might again find him some two or three months hence, for there
was a good deal of sweet grass here and there, with sow-thistle and
anise; and the coarse tussock grass would be in full seed shortly, which
alone would keep him going for as long a time as my father expected to be
away. Little did he think that he should want him again so shortly.

Having attended to his horse, he got his supper, and while smoking his
pipe congratulated himself on the way in which something had smoothed
away all the obstacles that had so nearly baffled him on his earlier
journey. Was he being lured on to his destruction by some malicious
fiend, or befriended by one who had compassion on him and wished him
well? His naturally sanguine temperament inclined him to adopt the
friendly spirit theory, in the peace of which he again laid himself down
to rest, and slept soundly from dark till dawn.

In the morning, though the water was somewhat icy, he again bathed, and
then put on his Erewhonian boots and dress. He stowed his European
clothes, with some difficulty, into his saddle-bags. Herein also he left
his case full of English sovereigns, his spare pipes, his purse, which
contained two pounds in gold and seven or eight shillings, part of his
stock of tobacco, and whatever provision was left him, except the
meat--which he left for sundry hawks and parrots that were eyeing his
proceedings apparently without fear of man. His nuggets he concealed in
the secret pockets of which I have already spoken, keeping one bag alone
accessible.

He had had his hair and beard cut short on shipboard the day before he
landed. These he now dyed with a dye that he had brought from England,
and which in a few minutes turned them very nearly black. He also
stained his face and hands deep brown. He hung his saddle and bridle,
his English boots, and his saddle-bags on the highest bough that he could
reach, and made them fairly fast with strips of flax leaf, for there was
some stunted flax growing on the ground where he had camped. He feared
that, do what he might, they would not escape the inquisitive
thievishness of the parrots, whose s