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Refraction with all its magic is back upon us;
the Delectable mountains appear again;
and as the sun has now worked his
way to the margin of the N western
horizon, we can see the blaze streaming
streaming out from the black portals
of these uplifted hills as if there
was truly beyond it a celestial gate.
I don't know what preposterous working
of brain led me to compare this N.
Western ridge to Bunyan's Delectable
Mountains, but there was a time only one
year ago when I used to gaze upon them
with an eye of real longing. Very often
when they rose phantom like [they rose] into the sky,
I would plan schemes by which to reach
them, work over mentally my hard pilgrimage
accross the ice and my escape from
Doubting Castle to this scene of triumph
and reward. Once upon your coasts
Oh inaccessible mountains I would reach
the Northern ocean and gather together
the remnants of poor Franklin's Company.
These would be to me the orchards and
vineyards and running fountains. The
"Lord of the Hill" would see in me a Pilgrim,
"Leaning upon our staves, as is
common with weary pilgrims when they
stand to talk with any by the way."
We would look down upon an open Polar
Sea refulgent with Northern Sunshine.

I did try to gain these mountains
and there is something curious in [thy?] (a closer)
likeness which our efforts bore to another
scene. When I think of our sufferings, of
poor Baker's & Pierre's deaths, of my own
almost fatalistic anxiety to cross the
frozen sea, and of the terrible phisical
trial by which I saved our advance