together in one mad plunge of nearly eighty feet, and fell with
wild uproar into a deep black pool scooped out of the gloomy
looking rocks that lay piled around, and thence in one collected
body dashed down a narrow sloping channel which seemed to
penetrate into the very bowels of the earth. Overhead, vast
roots of trees hung down from the sides of the ravine dripping
with moisture, and trembling with the concussions produced by the
fall. It was now sunset, and the feeble uncertain light that
found its way into these caverns and woody depths heightened
their strange appearance, and reminded us that in a short time we
should find ourselves in utter darkness.

As soon as I had satisfied my curiosity by gazing at this scene,
I fell to wondering how it was that what we had taken for a path
should have conducted us to so singular a place, and began to
suspect that after all I might have been deceived in supposing it
to have been a trick formed by the islanders. This was rather an
agreeable reflection than otherwise, for it diminished our dread
of accidentally meeting with any of them, and I came to the
conclusion that perhaps we could not have selected a more secure
hiding-place than this very spot we had so accidentally hit upon.

Toby agreed with me in this view of the matter, and we
immediately began gathering together the limbs of trees which lay
scattered about, with the view of constructing a temporary hut
for the night. This we were obliged to build close to the foot
of the cataract, for the current of water extended very nearly to
the sides of the gorge. The few moments of light that remained
we employed in covering our hut with a species of broad-bladed
grass that grew in every fissure of the ravine. Our hut, if it