Afterrestingforafewmomentswebegantheascent，andafteralittlevigorousclimbingfoundourselvesclosetoitssummit。Instead，however，ofwalkingalongitsridge，whereweshouldhavebeeninfullviewofthenativesinthevalesbeneath，andatapointwheretheycouldeasilyinterceptus，weretheysoinclined，wecautiouslyadvancedononeside，crawlingonourhandsandknees，andscreenedfromobservationbythegrassthroughwhichweglided，muchinthefashionofacoupleofserpents。Afteranhouremployedinthisunpleasantkindoflocomotion，westartedtoourfeetagain，andpursuedourwayboldlyalongthecrestoftheridge。
Thissalientspuroftheloftyelevationsthatencompassedthebay，rosewithasharpanglefromthevalleysatitsbase，andpresented，withtheexceptionofafewsteepacclivities，theappearanceofavastinclinedplane，sweepingdowntowardstheseafromtheheightsinthedistance。Wehadascendeditneartheplaceofitstermination，andatitslowestpoint，andnowsawourroutetothemountainsdistinctlydefinedalongitsnarrowcrest，whichwascoveredwithasoftcarpetofverdure，andwasinmanypartsonlyafewfeetwide。
Elatedwiththesuccesswhichhadsofarattendedourenterprise，andinvigoratedbytherefreshingatmospherewenowinhaled，TobyandI，inhighspirits，weremakingourwayrapidlyalongtheridge，whensuddenlyfromthevalleysbelow，whichlayoneithersideofus，weheardthedistantshoutsofthenatives，whohadjustdescriedus，andtowhomourfigures，broughtinboldreliefagainstthesky，wereplainlyrevealed。
Glancingoureyesintothesevalleys，weperceivedtheirsavageinhabitantshurryingtoandfro，seeminglyundertheinfluenceofsomesuddenalarm，andappearingtotheeyescarcelybiggerthansomanypigmies，whiletheirwhitethatcheddwellings，dwarfedbythedistance，lookedlikebaby-houses。Aswelookeddownupontheislandersfromourloftyelevation，weexperiencedasenseofsecurity；feelingconfidentthat，shouldtheyundertakeapursuit，itwould，fromthestartwenowhad，proveentirelyfruitless，unlesstheyfollowedusintothemountains，whereweknewtheycarednottoventure。
However，wethoughtitaswelltomakethemostofourtime；andaccordingly，wherethegroundwouldadmitofit，weranswiftlyalongthesummitoftheridge，untilwewerebroughttoastandbyasteepcliff，whichatfirstseemedtointerposeaneffectualbarriertoourfartheradvance。Bydintofmuchhardscrambling，however，andatsomerisktoournecks，weatlastsurmountedit，andcontinuedourflightwithunabatedcelerity。