I would not have been able to save myself from destruction, owing to the rapidity of the current that flowed beneath me. The first day's journey was amid continual rapid torrents and cataracts falling over precipices,—causing a great deal of thin ice which was very dangerous and very troublesome, because we were compelled to walk with our feet and snowshoes in the water, making the latter very slippery when we had to climb up ice-cliffs near falls or precipices. We passed four of these on that day; and all the distance we could get over was about six leagues, although we walked from morning until night. The end of the day was harder than the beginning, owing to a cold wind that froze our shoes and our stockings, which had been wet since morning. Our escort of soldiers, who were little accustomed to such fatigue, was disheartened; and it was still more so when, at night, it was necessary to encamp in the midst of the snow, as in a sepulchre in the ground.
"On the second day after our departure, we dismissed our escort, and advanced toward the upper part of the river. At a
