It
Can Easily Be Recognized By A Hill 1600 Feet High, Which Is
Even More Perfectly Conical Than The Famous Sugar-Loaf At
Rio De Janeiro.
The next day, after anchoring, I succeeded
in reaching the summit of this hill.
It was a laborious
undertaking, for the sides were so steep that in some parts it
was necessary to use the trees as ladders. There were also
several extensive brakes of the Fuchsia, covered with its
beautiful drooping flowers, but very difficult to crawl through.
In these wild countries it gives much delight to gain the summit
of any mountain. There is an indefinite expectation of seeing
something very strange, which, however often it may be
balked, never failed with me to recur on each successive
attempt. Every one must know the feeling of triumph and
pride which a grand view from a height communicates to the
mind. In these little frequented countries there is also joined
to it some vanity, that you perhaps are the first man who ever
stood on this pinnacle or admired this view.
A strong desire is always felt to ascertain whether any
human being has previously visited an unfrequented spot.
A bit of wood with a nail in it, is picked up and studied as
if it were covered with hieroglyphics. Possessed with this
feeling, I was much interested by finding, on a wild part of
the coast, a bed made of grass beneath a ledge of rock. Close
by it there had been a fire, and the man had used an axe.
The fire, bed, and situation showed the dexterity of an Indian;
but he could scarcely have been an Indian, for the race is
in this part extinct, owing to the Catholic desire of making
at one blow Christians and Slaves.
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