|
|
Page 146:-
our seeing each other; the effect of so dense a medium in
increasing the apparent distance of objects was now so
remarkable, that the judgment formed very erroneous conclusions
respecting their magnitude - and I actually mistook a large old
ram for a bull. There was nothing but the ground we trod on to
engage our attention; and we found Empetrum nigrum, and
various species of Lycopodium and Vaccinium very
abundant.
Following a sheep walk, we slanted along the side of one of the
mammae of the mountain, and presently reached another,
which we had no sooner gained than we halted, and proceeded to
devour some meat, with which we had prudently stored our pockets.
Nothing had ever tasted to our palates so exquisite; our limbs
seemed to have lost the rigidity of fatigue, and our lungs to
play with unusual freedom.
Having finished our repast, we began to ruminate upon the
peculiarity of our situation: we were lifted three thousand feet
above the level of the sea; but this immense height was of little
avail to us - every thing below us was obscured by an
impenetrable mist - the sun refused his cheering illumination,
and gloom and silence reigned awfully around. We were now upon
one end of a ridge which constitutes the highest part of the
mountain: it is profusely strewed with fragments of
|
