anxiety all the way, for if any accident had happened to his load,
he would have had to go back again to refill his big kettle; this he
carried in his hand, whilst a large tin vessel with a screw lid over
its mouth was strapped on his back also full of water, but he was
particularly charged not to let a drop escape from the spout of the
kettle; and I may mention here, that though he took a long time
about it, for he could not go as straight up the hill as we did, he
reached the top with the kettle full to the brim--the other vessel
was of course quite safe. All these packings and repackings, and
the comfortable adjustment of the "swags," occupied a long time, so
it was past five when we began our climb, and half-past six when we
reached the top of the hill, and getting so rapidly dark that we had
to hurry our preparations for the night, though we were all so
breathless that a "spell" (do you know that means _rest_?) would
have been most acceptable. The ascent was very steep, and there
were no sheep-tracks to guide us; our way lay through thick high
flax-bushes, and we never could have got on without their help. I
started with a stick, but soon threw it aside and pulled myself up
by the flax, hand over hand. Of course I had to stop every now and
then to rest, and once I chose the same flax-bush where three young
wild pigs had retired for the night, having first made themselves
the most beautiful bed of tussock grass bitten into short lengths;
the tussocks are very much scattered here, so it must have been an
afternoon's work for them; but the shepherds say these wild pigs
make themselves a fresh bed every night.

The first thing to be done was to pitch the tent on the little flat
at the very top of the hill: it was a very primitive affair; two of
the thinnest and longest pieces of totara, with which Flagpole is
strewed, we used for poles, fastening another piece lengthwise to