as they tumbled over their bed of rocks, their white crests flashing,
life-like, amid the darkness of the night.

"This is an ugly bridge over such a dangerous place," said D____, as he
stood up in the sleigh and urged his tired team across the miserable,
insecure log-bridge, where darkness and death raged below, and one false
step of his jaded horses would have plunged us into both. I must confess I
drew a freer breath when the bridge was crossed, and D____ congratulated
us on our safe arrival in Douro.

We now continued our journey along the left bank of the river, but when in
sight of Mr. S____'s clearing, a large pine-tree, which had newly fallen
across the narrow path, brought the teams to a stand-still. The mighty
trunk which had lately formed one of the stately pillars in the sylvan
temple of Nature, was of too large dimensions to chop in two with axes;
and after half-an-hour's labour, which to me, poor, cold, weary wight!
seemed an age, the males of the party abandoned the task in despair. To go
round it was impossible; its roots were concealed in an impenetrable wall
of cedar-jungle on the right-hand side of the road, and its huge branches
hung over the precipitous bank of the river.

"We must try and make the horses jump over it," said D____. "We may get an
upset, but there is no help for it; we must either make the experiment, or
stay here all night, and I am too cold and hungry for that--so here goes."
He urged his horses to leap the log; restraining their ardour for a moment
as the sleigh rested on the top of the formidable barrier, but so nicely
balanced, that the difference of a straw would almost have overturned the
heavily-laden vehicle and its helpless inmates. We, however, cleared it in
safety. He now stopped, and gave directions to his brother to follow the
same plan that he had adopted; but whether the young man had less