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Rh and became curious, Yes! Septimus was a heavy smoker, and that was his favourite brand. And there was the rum, and a big supply too. Well, perhaps the best thing I could do with it was to present it to the Government—they might esteem it for the museum. If I could only induce Yondozi to swallow a half-pint of it, how it would make him talk geography!

However, I fell asleep without a smoke, and on waking, I cannot say that I felt any the worse. On the contrary, I was in the highest spirits at the idea of a trip over the mountains; my companions also appeared to share my hilarity.

Higher and higher we went, now scaling a steep incline, then descending into a yawning abyss; now we were on our way round a lofty pinnacle, then following the narrow pathway along the edges of fearful chasms. Woods, gorges, mountains, rivers, lakes and torrents kept constantly coming into view and fading again in the distance, or more suddenly lost to the sight by the intervening timber. The scenery, indeed, was like some enchanting panorama.

Higher and higher still, till we came to the brink of a clear mountain lake, out of whose waters the snow-clad peaks appeared to rise, and into