ther, which has kept me much within doors;
but constantly looking out, most anxiously,
for the sight of a sail j yet, being winter, I
fear there is but slight chance of such an
event; and if we even do see one, should the
wind be blowing high, she will not be able to
approach the island.
A few days ago, it blowing a strong easterly
wind at the time, Glass and I went to the east
end of the island to burn the underwood and
grass, in order to make pasturage for the cattle.
This grass grows astonishingly fast, and
if not burned occasionally would soon cover
every thing. I t is from eight to ten feet
high, and so thick that it is almost impossible
to get through it. We set fire to it in several
places, and the wind catching the flame, it
spread with dreadful and astonishing rapidity,
running up the sides of the mountain with a
roar like that produced by volleys of musketry
j and it was accompanied with so much
flame and smoke, as to make the spectacle
truly sublime.
28th. Yesterday being a fine morning, accompanied
by two of the men, I determined
to ascend the mountain. As several parties
had before gone up, they had formed a kind
of path, at least we endeavoured to trace the
same way; but it requires a great deal of
nerve to attempt it. The sides of the mountain
are nearly perpendicular j but, after ascending
about two hundred feet, it is there
entirely covered with wood, which renders
the footing much more safe ; but in order to
get to the wood, the road is so dangerous,
that it made me almost tremble to think of it j
slippery, grey rocks, and many of them unfortunately
loose, so that when we took hold,
they separated from the mass, and fell with a
horrid rumbling noise ; here and there were a
few patches of grass, the only thing we could
depend upon to assist us in climbing, which
must be done with extreme caution, for the
least slip, or false step, would dash one to
atoms on the rocks below. By keeping our
eyes constantly looking upwards, and continuing
to haul ourselves up, by catching firm
hold on this grass, after an hour’s painful toil,
we gained the summit, where we found
ourselves on an extended plain, of several
y 3