s agreed with him, but observed that it would be as well to
camp in the valley, for the sake of giving the horses a good feed, while
we searched a passage either through or over the next range.

I should occupy too much space, were I minutely to describe the next few
days' journey, the steeps we climbed up, the descents we made, now
keeping along the edge of a roaring torrent, now ascending by the brink
of precipices, over which there appeared a great risk of the carts and
horses falling to the bottom.

Still we worked our onward way, my father being confident that we should
encounter no insuperable obstacles. We had climbed to a height early in
the day, from which, through his glass, he had obtained a view over the
region we had to pass. Though wild and rugged in the extreme, it was of
no great elevation.

"If we cannot get through in one direction, we may in another," he
remarked.

Twice we had to return for some distance the way we had come, but
perseverance conquered all difficulties, and at length we gained a
ridge, far away beyond which we saw stretching a magnificent country, a
stream flowing down from the mountains, a wide extent of prairie, a
shining lake, and an extensive forest, with trees of giant growth. We
had only to descend to take possession of any spot on which we might fix
for our future residence. The stream and lake would afford us fish,
herds of deer browsed on the rich grass, and far away we caught sight of
some buffaloes, while numerous "big-horns" were seen bounding amid the
crags on either side.

Another day was spent before we were fairly in the valley, but my father
and Uncle Denis agreed that we were well repaid for the toil we had gone
through. They selected a spot for our habitation on the side of a hill,
sloping gradually up from the stream, where we might be out of the reach
of its swelling waters and yet make use of it for irrigating the land.
We at once pitched my mother's tent, and set to work to cut down timber
for a log hut for ourselves. As soon as this was done, I and two of the
men were despatched by my father to fetch more of our stores, or to
bring on the waggons, should we find a more practicable road than the
one by which we had come. I felt duly proud of the important charge
committed to me, and set off in high spirits.

By keeping more to the left than we had done, I was fortunate enough to
discover a road over which I felt sure that the waggons could make thei