but the only means I had of obtaining food
were precarious; and I could not cast off the thought that, should I
continue to grow weaker, I might ultimately perish.

I was soon shown, however, that I ought not to have desponded. I was
more successful with my beaver traps than I had expected; and,
imperfectly formed as they were, I caught no less than three animals in
them, which afforded me ample food, and greatly restored my strength.

Pushing on over a wooded height, I saw below me a beautiful lake two or
three miles long, and almost as many broad. I hastened down to its
shore, and having caught some grasshoppers on the way, I quickly had my
line in the water. Having chosen a favourable spot, scarcely a moment
had passed before I hauled out a salmon-trout a pound or more in weight.
In half an hour I had caught a dozen--as many as I could carry. I
therefore camped and cooked some of the fish, which afforded me a more
satisfactory supper than I had eaten for many days.

Seeing a stream running out of the lake, I next morning followed its
course. I cannot describe the beautiful waterfalls which I passed on my
way, or the scenery, which was altogether very fine. I hastened along,
believing that the stream, from the direction it took, would lead to an
outlet among the mountains.

I had thus gone on for some miles, when the canon down which I was
travelling widened, and suddenly I saw before me a scene far more
wonderful than any I had yet witnessed. In every direction over the
broad valley, on both sides of the stream, rose a number of jets of
sparkling water far surpassing in beauty the artificial fountains in the
most celebrated gardens of royal mansions.

I hurried on, to get a more perfect sight of this wonderful region.
Suddenly, from a high mound some thirty feet or more above the level of
the plain, I saw a jet burst forth, which rose to the height of one
hundred and twenty or one hundred and thirty feet--a perfect geyser, the
first real one I had yet seen. It continued playing for fifteen minutes
or more, the mass of water falling back into the basin, and then running
over the edges and down the sides of the mound. Others were playing all
the time. As I hastened on, from another cone a column shot upwards to a
far greater height--considerably above two hundred feet, I should
say--and lasted very much longer than the first. The intervening spaces
between these geysers were covered with grass; and in many places t