seemingly so far from no height at all, puzzled me greatly: it looked as
if the solid earth had been indulging in some curious transformation
pranks during those moments or minutes of insensibility. Another
singular circumstance was that I had a great mass of small fibrous
rootlets tightly woven about my whole person, so that I was like a
colossal basket-worm in its case, or a big man-shaped bottle covered
with wicker-work. It appeared as if the roots had _grown_ round me!
Luckily they were quite sapless and brittle, and without bothering my
brains too much about the matter, I set to work to rid myself of them.
After stripping the woody covering off, I found that my tourist suit of
rough Scotch homespun had not suffered much harm, although the cloth
exuded a damp, moldy smell; also that my thick-soled climbing boots had
assumed a cracked rusty appearance as if I had been engaged in some
brick-field operations; while my felt hat was in such a discolored and
battered condition that I felt almost ashamed to put it on my head. My
watch was gone; perhaps I had not been wearing it, but my pocket-book in
which I had my money was safe in my breast pocket.

Glad and grateful at having escaped with unbroken bones from such a
dangerous accident, I set out walking along the edge of the ravine,
which soon broadened to a valley running between two steep hills; and
then, seeing water at the bottom and feeling very dry, I ran down the
slope to get a drink. Lying flat on my chest to slake my thirst animal
fashion, I was amazed at the reflection the water gave back of my face:
it was, skin and hair, thickly encrusted with clay and rootlets! Having
taken a long drink, I threw off my clothes to have a bath; and after
splashing about for half an hour managed to rid my skin of its
accumulations of dirt. While drying in the wind I shook the loose sand
and clay from my garments, then dressed, and, feeling greatly refreshed,
proceeded on my walk.