there was a narrow cleft between two high rocks, but when we could look over, we saw the other side was a sheer precipice, with no hand-hold or foot-hold possible, so we had to retrace our steps and continue the traverse over the stones and ice. When near the ridge, we found the remains of a mountain-rat or some small animal, with teeth and claws and fur still good, which had evidently been dropped by some large bird, as no animal could have lived up there. We reached the summit at two p.m. but though the day was cloudless there was too much smoke from forest-fires, in the horizon, to get a very distant view. The summit was much corniced, so we gave it a wide berth, and after a short stay began the descent.
Having no lantern with us, we hurried on, as we did not want to be benighted on the mountain, but the loose stones made care necessary and we did not reach our camp till 8 145 p.m., just as night was setting in. Jimmy and Jesse were on the lookout, and fired their gun when they saw us on the snow-slope, and when we arrived in camp we found a nice hot supper all ready.
Editorial Note.
Miss Gertrude E. Benham's modest and unassuming account of her ascent of Mt. Assiniboine would not lead the reader to suppose that she was the first and only lady to set foot upon its summit, 11,860 feet above the sea.
Although several attempts had been made, the summit was not reached until 1901, when the Rev. James Outram, accompanied by the Swiss guides, Christian Hasler and Christian Bohren made the first ascent (see "In the Heart of the Canadian Rockies," by the Rev. James Outram, published by MacMillan & Co., New York). But one other party made the ascent between that by Mr. Outram in 1901 and by Miss Benham in 1904.
Presumably, Miss Benham's wonderful record of mountains climbed in the European Alps, in New Zealand and in Japan, the first including among one hundred and sixty climbs, Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa the Weisshorn and the Jungfrau, has lead her to regard but lightly her ascent of Mt. Assiniboine.
