their magnificent size or gorgeous colour. It is well known, by the way, that the sense of smell awakens the memory and recalls the past through association of ideas more promptly than any other.

The road I was travelling passed, you will remember, to the westward of Rattlesnake Mountain. As it buried itself deeper in the wood, it likewise climbed higher, curving round and clinging to the side of the hill, here gently sloping. The fallen leaves, which were soft and moist last week, have now become crisp and much more numerous. Who does not delight in scuffling through them, and in the rustling sound, although this is anything but musical in the ordinary sense!

The foliage upon the trees has been thinned so much that the hillside shows massive rocks hitherto clothed with verdure, and from the summit protrudes in bold relief the rugged core of the mountain. Curving more and more to the left, the path emerged at length into an open field on the yonder side, in the midst of a herd of cattle peaceably grazing there; all around forest-clad hills, a very flower-garden in colour, with a depression on the northeast, where, in the middle distance,

the gilded dome of the Capitol shone in a passing gleam of sunlight, against the blue hills on the further side of the great river. Skirting the edge of the wood, which for a time shut off the view of the higher ground, the path at length wholly deserted me as I found myself near the foot of the talus from the cliffs which formed the summit.

I was left to take my chances among the woodchuck holes, the hypothetical rattlesnakes, and upon the sliding fragments of rock. But remembering that the latter naturally found for themselves a position of stable equilibrium, I ventured upon them with the care which every one is bound to take in such a place, increased to the nth power by the reflection of the cautious man upon the serious predicament in which he would find himself in case of a mishap occurring in an unfrequented locality.

Clambering around among great detached masses of rock which stood out boldly midst the trees, and speculating upon the possibility of in some way scaling the highest of these, I became conscious of the pleasant odour of burning leaves, but also apprehensive lest disastrous fire might be

running loose in the woods. Approaching a fissure among the rocks, however, I perceived a thin smoke issuing therefrom and learned the source of the odour, and after a few minutes I came in sight of two little girls, to whom a pleasant Good-morning" introduced me sufficiently to obtain for me an invitation to go into the "cave," where Grandpa had just built a fire for their delectation.

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Grandpa proved to be a native, successor to several generations of such, sturdily loyal to the neighbourhood and intelligently familiar with its localities, characteristics, and traditions. The cave, which with a little labour might be made into a comfortable enough residence, was formed of heavy masses of basaltic rock leaning against each other, and some hundred years ago it was the occasional home of one of those "hermits" whom tradition has scattered through the land, restless geniuses, who, for one reason or another, found it more to their taste to "go back to nature" than to live in houses made with hands. This one bore the distinction of having left a name behind him, and had been personally known to the grandmother of my new friend.

My new acquaintance was quite an acqui

sition. By him I was led by a circuitous but easy path to the very highest point of the cliff, which had hitherto been quite concealed from me by the wood. Seen from this spot the horizon comes full circle, save as slightly broken here and there by the very tops of the most enterprising trees. It was formerly selected as a post for the observations of the coast and geodetic survey, and from it the eye takes in a thousand square miles of valley and rolling hills. As we stood on the bare summit, it blew a gale which it was difficult to withstand. The sun was shrouded with heavy clouds, and the miles on miles of forest-clad hills, and shaded valleys, among which the scattered fields seemed unimportant, showed the rich but soft and subdued colours of a well-chosen oriental rug. (Again that comparison of great things with small.)

We stood for a little while bracing ourselves against the wind, and noting the city a few miles away, and the scattered towns, becoming distinct now that the leaves are falling, with hills and mountains in every direction, none very high,-not more than fourteen or fifteen hundred feet, even in the extreme distance; but the gale freshened,

and making a mental note to come and come again to this point of vantage, I beat a retreat into the more sheltered valley.

I must add to the flowers still to be found, the red clover, the wild peppergrass, and herb Robert. I never realized how beautiful the latter was until I found it to-day with its delicately divided leaves and lovely pink blossoms, emerging from between and overlaying the basaltic blocks over which I climbed. I cannot say so much in favour of its fragrance, but this was quite atoned for by the catnip against which I brushed on the hillside, and the sweet fern through which I waded near the summit.

OCTOBER 15, 1893.

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