us, we congratulated him on his escape. "I pray that we may
succeed in getting down into the valley, although at present I see no
path open to us."

After climbing some way, we found a gap in the rocks, which, although
full of snow, afforded a sufficiently firm footing to enable us to get
on without much difficulty. From thence, although the descent was not
without danger, we succeeded in reaching a broad ledge free from snow.
Here some bushes grew, of sufficient size to afford us fuel; and
sheltered in the hollow of a rock, we passed the night in tolerable
comfort.

On the return of day we recommenced our search for a practicable way
down the mountain; and happily finding it, we at length reached one of
the lower heights of the wide valley I have mentioned. I call it a
valley, but it was rather a large basin, surrounded, as far as the eye
could reach, by lofty mountains.

"Now we are here, how are we ever to get out again?" I asked Manley.

"Where those rivers find an outlet, so probably shall we," he answered.
"There can be no doubt that two or perhaps more canons lead into this
basin,--some to the north and east, so far as I can judge, and others to
the west,--and by them, without having any ascent to climb, we shall
probably be able to make our way in the direction we wish to go."

Having the day before us, we proceeded westward across the basin. We
soon found, however, that it was anything but level. Large hills, many
of which might have been dignified by the title of mountains, rose up in
various directions. One object, however, engaged our attention in the
far distance: it was a beautiful sheet of water, blue as the sky
overhead--like a jewel in a setting of green.

Nowhere could we see any Indian wigwams, but here and there we observed
what appeared like smoke rising above the trees.

"I very much doubt if what we see is smoke," observed Manley; "it looks
more like vapour; and, from the appearance of this region, I suspect
that some volcanic action is going forward. However, we shall discover
that as we proceed."

Although we at first fancied we had reached the valley's level, we found
we had still a considerable descent to make, and that we could not hope
to arrive that day on the banks of the lake. We therefore encamped on
the borders of a forest overlooking a stream which evidently ran into
the lake, and which would serve to guide us the next day. The stream
was bordered by rocks of a curio