EXPLORING THE MOUNTAINS 141

which the map-maker observes topographical points
and records them on his field book, than on the number
of the instruments he uses.

After having done a particular region, our carto-
grapher would climb with his companions to the top
of a hill or mountain, and, setting in front of himself
his field drawings laid horizontally in keeping with
his compass, he would ask them where was such
and such a place passed by and noted on the way?
The Indian is a born topographer. After a few seconds’
study, his people would unhesitatingly point out the
place enquired about, which indication, in practically
every case, coincided with the position of that par-
ticular part of Morice’s survey. People who are not
familiar with the wonderful capacity of the Indians for
finding their bearings will perhaps not appreciate the
value of such a checking of our geographer’s work.
But he knew better.

Some of these mountains took considerably more
than one day to climb from base to summit. Our
explorer remembers, not without a thrill, the many
dangers he braved in such operations. Once he was
forced to desist because of his companions who felt too
dizzy to continue, a circumstance which only half
annoyed him, he now slyly confesses, as he was rather
pleased to have an excuse for going down, being dizzy
himself, but averse to admitting it. Another time
he spent a night lit by brilliant stars which no tent
hid from view, tied up at the waist to a sapling which
grew by something like a notch, or shallow cavity, on
an exceedingly steep slope, just above the tree limit.

Numerous were also the times when he found him-
self either in the clouds or over them. Above him was
the clearest of azure skies: below, an ocean of vague
and dense fog. All the material thus carefully