Suspicious Occurrences

           ANimmensebarrierlayacrosstheroutetothesoutheast.ItwastheAustralianAlps,avastfortification,thefantasticcurtainofwhichextended1,500miles,andpiercedthecloudsattheheightof4,000feet.

           Thecloudyskyonlyallowedtheheattoreachthegroundthroughacloseveilofmist.Thetemperaturewasjustbearable,buttheroadwastoilsomefromitsunevencharacter.Theextumescencesontheplainbecamemoreandmoremarked.Severalmoundsplantedwithgreenyounggumtreesappearedhereandthere.Furtherontheseprotuberancesrisingsharply,formedthefirststepsofthegreatAlps.Fromthistimetheircoursewasacontinualascent,aswassoonevidentinthestrainitmadeonthebullockstodragalongthecumbrouswagon.Theiryokecreaked,theybreathedheavily,andthemusclesoftheirhoughswerestretchedasiftheywouldburst.Theplanksofthevehiclegroanedattheunexpectedjolts,whichAyrtonwithallhisskillcouldnotprevent.Theladiesboretheirshareofdiscomfortbravely.

           JohnManglesandhistwosailorsactedasscouts,andwentaboutahundredstepsinadvance.Theyfoundoutpracticalpaths,orpasses,indeedtheymightbecalled,fortheseprojectionsofthegroundwerelikesomanyrocks,betweenwhichthewagonhadtosteercarefully.Itrequiredabsolutenavigationtofindasafewayoverthebillowyregion.

           Itwasadifficultandoftenperiloustask.ManyatimeWilson’shatchetwasobligedtoopenapassagethroughthicktanglesofshrubs.Thedampargillaceoussoilgavewayundertheirfeet.