umbo, to conduct the horses and mules round by the
way Kanimapo described to him.

Led by the Indian, we therefore recommenced the ascent of the mountain
without delay. Fatiguing as it was, the doctor and the padre each
insisted on carrying a child, while my father helped up my mother, and I
aided Norah--though Kathleen and she declared they felt perfectly able
to climb up by themselves. Gerald and I sometimes gave them our hands,
at others pushed them from behind.

After ascending a considerable distance, we saw on our right a lofty
peak. The clearness of the atmosphere made it appear much nearer than
it really was. Kathleen announced her intention of climbing to the top
of it, and was much surprised to find that it was some twenty or thirty
miles off.

In spite of the fresh air, the heat was great; but the atmosphere was
far more exhilarating than I had before found it in the plains. At last
the summit was reached; when we went some distance over tolerably level
ground, and then had to commence descending by one of the steepest paths
I ever met with,--such as even the mules could not have slidden down
without the risk of rolling over. On reaching the bottom we found a
rapid stream flowing at our feet, along the brink of which Kanimapo now
led us; and we continued making our way, amid the rich vegetation which
grew on either side, till we saw before us a fine waterfall, and, as far
as we could judge, our progress appeared completely barred.

Kanimapo did not hesitate. "Come on, my friends; we are near our
resting-place at last," he said; and turning to the right, he led the
way through a thick belt of trees which lined the stream, and began to
ascend an almost perpendicular cliff! The roots and branches of the
trees which grew out of it, however, formed a sort of natural ladder, or
series of steps, up which even my mother found no great difficulty in
climbing; and we soon found ourselves on level ground, a small placid
lake, out of which the rocks on the opposite side rose abruptly,
appearing among the trees. By continuing along the shores of this lake
we reached another waterfall, of considerable width and depth, and
overhung with magnificent trees, which added greatly to its picturesque
beauty.

We now made another ascent, very similar to the first, till we reached a
higher level of the same stream. I expected that we were going to
continue along it; but instead of doing so Kanimapo led us by a zigzag