and we made dreadful havoc among them with our
guns.”
The naïveté of Mr. Benners’ excuse for not following
Messrs, Stanley and Wright is rather
amusinofO
July \4th, 1789.
“ Our party consisted of Mr. Stanley, Mr. Wright,
Crawford, Caldin, and myself, our carpenter, and a
sailor. We sank pretty deep in the snoAV, bnt
patches were here and there frozen over; we went
over these safely till we came to a large chasm,
which forced us to turn it where it was crusted
over. This we crossed with some tremor, for if it
gave way we should have fallen to a depth of fifty
or sixty fe e t; we crossed one by one, and so on we
went crossing many chasms. When we came to
Avhere the ascent grew steeper we rested. Going
on, one of our sailors found it so slippery, and not
being able to jump, swore it was impossible for
Ihm to proceed: we helped him on hoAvever. Mr.
CraAvford sunk np to his knees going alongside one
of the crevices, crying out ‘ O heav'ens,’ and believing
he Avas lost. At about tAvelve Ave reached
the top of this slope, a base to a higher and steeper
slope, that terminated in a cone, and to get to this
Avas a prospect of great difficulty. Messrs. Stanley
and Wright Avent foinvards on all fours; Caldin,
CraAvford, and I folloAved; and after proceeding
tAventy-five or thirty feet, Caldin declined going
farther, and began to think hoAV he could get doAvn
again, and Avas throAvn into a cold SAveat. The snoAv
under him Avas giving way, and his pole was of
no use, and below him Avas a deep and large
chasm, from falling into which he had to hold on
hy one finger only. I AV'as just in the same situation,
Avhen he cried out ^ Do help me, or else
I shall be doAvn.’ To help him I tried to fix
myself, by burying my foot in the s u o a a ' , knoAving
Avell that, had my friend above, for he Avas before
me, given Avay, he would come doAvn straight
on me, and thus both of us fall into that horrid
and most tremendous gulph. I stuck my pole
immediately beloAV his feet, and this kept him np
till he fixed himself Avith more advantage. I now
endeavoured to get down again, and begged Caldin
to do the same, for I dreaded his falling more than
anything else. I got doAvn on the slope of the hill,
and Avaited for him, then I again resolved on
mounting this high cone, and got up about three-
quarters of it, when I found a large separation
almost on the top, slightly covered across with
snoAv. Underneath this I ventured on my belly at.
a part not covered, and found it very deep, and by
peeping through horizontally I observed the chasm
to extend quite through, so that I could see the
adjacent cone Avhich lay opposite. I Avas hoAvever
encouraged by the footsteps of my friends, the impression
of Avhich Avas noAV deeply marked out by
this time. I could hear them speak very distinctly.
N 5
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