Climbing the Saddle.

Our swags again shouldered and strapped we leave the hut in twos. The doctor and his friend are first off, my friend aud I follow, having been put on the right track after creating the Clinton on a fallen tree, aud Mr and Mrs B. and ths guides are to bring up the rear in that order. We quickly find that our work has begun in earnest as we make our way up the sleep bush track, over roots of trees, up precipitous little pieces of rock, now enlisting the aid of a friendly branch, anon resorting to hands and knees, with frequent short rests to recover breath, but steadily getting higher and higher, We had left Mintaro at 3 o'clock, and at 4 had made splendid progress, emerging as we did about this time out of the bush line. The vegetation had been page 12 changing, and was now of a distinctly alpine order. Celmisias, Ranunculus lyalli, ourisias, and other interesting special mens were temptingly inviting attention, and, as we climbed still higher, the pineapple-topped dracophyllucm and other comparative strangers made their appearance. We were now over-taken by Ross and Garvey, and decided to wait a short while for Mr and Mrs B., as it was manifest the latter must be tiring in this trying climb after a walk already sufficiently long for a lady. We bad not very long to wait, however, for our friends were soon seen emerging from the bush and after a few minutes further struggle Mrs B., with a little assistance from Ross, reached one resting place temporarily exhausted, but still fall of spirit. A short rest and we resume our climb, and finally reach the actual summit, where M'Kinnon erected his cairn of stones, at 4.30, or an hour and a-half after tearing Mintaro, This is admitted by Ross to be realty good work, and we are granted a free hour for a spell and to enable as to thoroughly appreciate the grandeur of the scene spread before us and examine the beautiful flowers and plants with which we are surrounded. It was no part of my intention, when I set out to pen these short papers, to indulge in descriptive writing, and I am not going to commence now. Indeed, no pen could possibly do justice to the