James Ramsay). Mr. Van Horn says the mountains sheer up eight to eleven
thousand feet; glaciers are eighteen to twenty miles long; trees two
hundred and fifty feet high and thirty in circumference. They have only
to cut one down and it makes a capital bridge at once. He told us a
curious story of a Mr. Rogers, who started with a young engineer to find
a pass for the railroad over the Rocky mountains which would, on its
discovery, make him famous. After their six days' provisions were all
exhausted, Mr. Carroll, the young engineer, said: "It is all very well
for you, but what shall _I_ gain by risking my life and going on?"
"Well," said Mr. Rogers, "let us go to that high plateau and think."
While there, he decided to go on, upon which Mr. Carroll again
expostulated. Mr. Rogers then exclaimed: "You see all these magnificent
peaks, which probably no human eye has seen before--now the grandest of
these shall be named after you if I succeed." Just then a caribou went
past. They gave chase and he took them nine miles into a valley where
they did not find _him_ but _did_ find a _cache_ of
food--and then the _pass_! And the highest mountain is called Mount
Carroll at this day. Mr. Angus does not encourage me much to go to the
Rocky Mountains, on the ground of fatigue and hardships.


_Wednesday, September 2nd_--I must bring up my journal to this
date. On Saturday there were no sections. John and E--- Lansdownes and
many others went to Quebec. Owing to showers of rain the festivities
there were rather a failure. Miss Angus drove H--- and me to Mount
Royal, where we had a splendid view; Dick walked up. We then went to the
market, and saw there all sorts of new vegetables, fruits, and fish. The
melons here are delicious, and we have had buckwheat cakes, and rice
cakes, and sweet potatoes, and blueberries. The living here is very
good, and nothing can be more comfortable than we are; but the flies are