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Show STRONG'S KNOB- CLOTH CAP. 195 of water, and they incapable, from sea- sickness and fright, of making any further exertion for their safety. Had they used ordinary diligence in the morning, they might easily have reached the island before the storm commenced, and saved themselves much suffering and their companions no less anxiety. The loss of the Bkiff is severely felt- the nature of the shore being such that the large boat, when loaded, cannot, in many places, approach within two or three miles of the land, and the lighter vessel is therefore indispensable. I was rejoiced that no lives were lost, which there was, at one time, serious reason to apprehend. We found that the hail had killed a large number of the young pelicans, as, upon the approach of the gust, they had been deserted by their parents, who had betaken themselves to the protection of the neighbouring rocks, leaving their tender offspring to " bide the pel tings of the pitiless storm." So much for the ancient fable of their feeding their young from their own veins! Sunday, June 2.- Last night the wind was from the southeast, which induced me to hope that the skiff might have been drifted somewhere into our neighbourhood, and a man was despatched to the top of one of the cliffs, with a glass, to look out for her. He soon returned, and reported that he had made out what he believed to be the boat, four or five miles to the southward. This was joyful intelligence, and we immediately started after her. We found her in the spot indicated, nearly full of water, but with all the baggage undisturbed. After picking her up, we directed our course still farther to the southward, toward a high peak, which appeared to be either an island or a peninsula. We found it to be the latter, connected by a broad sandbar with a broken rocky range, which forms the northern termination of the ridge bounding Spring Valley on the west, and which I had crossed in November last, on my reconnoissance of the western shore of the lake. ' We gave it the name of " Strong's Knob." After strolling a couple of miles on the sand- flat of the main shore, beneath high, broken, perpendicular cliffs of black limestone, being desirous of obtaining a view of the south- western portion of the lake, we ascended one of the highest peaks, from the summit of which rose a perpendicular oblong mass of rocks, which, from its singular resemblance to that article of dress, we called " Cloth Gap." The day was warm, and the mountain up which we clambered from eight hundred to a thousand feet in height. With considerable labour we reached the top, and were |
