第11章

Toby，whoinvariablyactedaspioneer，nowproceededtoreconnoitre。Onhisreturn，hereportedthattheshelvesofrockonourrightwouldenableustogainwithlittleriskthebottomofthecataract。Accordingly，leavingthebedofthestreamattheverypointwhereitthundereddown，webegancrawlingalongoneoftheseslopingledgesuntilitcarriedustowithinafewfeetofanotherthatinclineddownwardatastillsharperangle，anduponwhich，byassistingeachother，wemanagedtoalightinsafety。Wewarilycreptalongthis，steadyingourselvesbythenakedrootsoftheshrubsthatclungtoeveryfissure。Asweproceeded，thenarrowpathbecamestillmorecontracted，renderingitdifficultforustomaintainourfooting，untilsuddenly，aswereachedanangleofthewallofrockwherewehadexpectedittowiden，weperceivedtoourconsternation，thatayardortwofartheronitabruptlyterminatedataplacewecouldnotpossiblyhopetopass。

Toby，asusual，ledthevan，andinsilenceIwaitedtolearnfromhimhowheproposedtoextricateusfromthisnewdifficulty。

“Well，myboy，“Iexclaimed，aftertheexpirationofseveralminutes，duringwhichtimemycompanionhadnotutteredaword:

“what’stobedonenow？“

Herepliedinatranquiltonethatprobablythebestthingwecoulddointhepresentstraitwastogetoutofitassoonaspossible。

“Yes，mydearToby，buttellmehowwearetogetoutofit。“

“Somethinginthissortofstyle，“hereplied；andatthesamemoment，tomyhorror，heslippedsidewaysofftherock，and，asIthenthought，bygoodfortunemerely，alightedamongthespreadingbranchesofaspeciesofpalmtree，thatshootingitshardyrootsalongaledgebelow，curveditstrunkupwardsintotheair，andpresentedathickmassoffoliageabouttwentyfeetbelowthespotwherewehadthussuddenlybeenbroughttoastand-still。Iinvoluntarilyheldmybreath，expectingtoseetheformofmycompanion，afterbeingsustainedforamomentbythebranchesofthetree，sinkthroughtheirfrailsupport，andfallheadlongtothebottom。Tomysurpriseandjoy，however，herecoveredhimself，anddisentanglinghislimbsfromthefracturedbranches，hepeeredoutfromhisleafybed，andshoutedlustily，“Comeon，myhearty，thereisnootheralternative！“andwiththisheduckedbeneaththefoliage，andslippingdownthetrunk，stoodinamomentatleastfiftyfeetbeneathme，uponthebroadshelfofrockfromwhichsprungthetreehehaddescended。

WhatwouldInothavegivenatthatmomenttohavebeenbyhisside？Thefeathehadjustaccomplishedseemedlittlelessthanmiraculous，andIcouldhardlycredittheevidenceofmysenseswhenI

sawthewidedistancethatasingledaringacthadsosuddenlyplacedbetweenus。

Toby’sanimating“comeon！“againsoundedinmyears，anddreadingtoloseallconfidencemyselfifIremainedmeditatinguponthestep，Ioncemoregazeddowntoassuremyselfoftherelativebearingofthetreeandmyownposition，andthenclosingmyeyesandutteringonecomprehensiveejaculationofprayer，Iinclinedmyselfovertowardstheabyss，andafteronebreathlessinstantfellwithacrashintothetree，thebranchessnappingandcracklingwithmyweight，asIsunklowerandloweramongthem，untilIwasstoppedbycomingincontactwithasturdylimb。

InafewmomentsIwasstandingatthefootofthetree，manipulatingmyselfalloverwithaviewofascertainingtheextentoftheinjurieshadreceived。Tomysurprisetheonlyeffectsofmyfeatwereafewslightcontusionstootriflingtocareabout。Therestofourdescentwaseasilyaccomplished，andinhalfanhourafterregainingtheravine，wehadpartakenofoureveningmorsel，builtourhutasusual，andcrawledunderitsshelter。

Thenextmorning，inspiteofourdebilityandtheagonyofhungerunderwhichwewerenowsuffering，thoughneitherofusconfessedtothefact，westruggledalongourdismalandstilldifficultanddangerouspath，cheeredbythehopeofsooncatchingaglimpseofthevalleybeforeus，andtowardseveningthevoiceofacataractwhichhadforsometimesoundedlikealowdeepbasstothemusicofthesmallerwaterfalls，brokeuponourearsinstillloudertones，andassuredusthatwewereapproachingitsvicinity。

Thateveningwestoodonthebrinkofaprecipice，overwhichthedarkstreamboundedinonefinalleapoffull300feet。Thesheerdescentterminatedintheregionwesolonghadsought。Oneithersideofthefall，twoloftyandperpendicularbluffsbuttressedthesidesoftheenormouscliff，andprojectedintotheseaofverdurewithwhichthevalleywaved，andarangeofsimilarprojectingeminencesstooddisposedinahalfcircleabouttheheadofthevale。Athickcanopyoftreeshungovertheveryvergeofthefall，leavinganarchedapertureforthepassageofthewaters，whichimpartedastrangepicturesquenesstothescene。

Thevalleywasnowbeforeus；butinsteadofbeingconductedintoitssmilingbosombythegradualdescentofthedeepwatercoursewehadthusfarpursued，allourlaboursnowappearedtohavebeenrenderedfutilebyitsabrupttermination。But，bitterlydisappointed，wedidnotentirelydespair。

Asitwasnownearsunsetwedeterminedtopassthenightwherewewere，andonthemorrow，refreshedbysleep，andbyeatingatonemealallourstockoffood，toaccomplishadescentintothevalley，orperishintheattempt。

Welaidourselvesdownthatnightonaspot，therecollectionofwhichstillmakesmeshudder。Asmalltableofrockwhichprojectedovertheprecipiceononesideofthestream，andwasdrenchedbythesprayofthefall，sustainedahugetrunkofatreewhichmusthavebeendepositedtherebysomeheavyfreshet。Itlayobliquely，withoneendrestingontherockandtheothersupportedbythesideoftheravine。Againstitweplacedinaslopingdirectionanumberofthehalf-decayedboughsthatwerestrewnabout，andcoveringthewholewithtwigsandleaves，awaitedthemorning’slightbeneathsuchshelterasitafforded。

Duringthewholeofthisnightthecontinualroaringofthecataract-thedismalmoaningofthegalethroughthetrees-thepatteringoftherain，andtheprofounddarkness，affectedmyspiritstoadegreewhichnothinghadeverbeforeproduced。Wet，half-famished，andchilledtotheheartwiththedampnessoftheplace，andnearlywildwiththepainIendured，Ifairlycowereddowntotheearthunderthismultiplicationofhardships，andabandonedmyselftofrightfulanticipationsofevil；andmycompanion，whosespiritatlastwasagooddealbroken，scarcelyutteredawordduringthewholenight。

Atlengththedaydawneduponus，andrisingfromourmiserablepallet，westretchedourstiffenedjoints，andaftereatingallthatremainedofourbread，preparedforthelaststageofourjourney。

Iwillnotrecounteveryhairbreadthescape，andeveryfearfuldifficultythatoccurredbeforewesucceededinreachingthebosomofthevalley。AsIhavealreadydescribedsimilarscenes，itwillbesufficienttosaythatatlength，aftergreattoilandgreatdangers，webothstoodwithnolimbsbrokenattheheadofthatmagnificentvalewhichfivedaysbeforehadsosuddenlyburstuponmysight，andalmostbeneaththeshadowofthoseverycliffsfromwhosesummitswehadgazedupontheprospect。

HOWtoobtainthefruitwhichwefeltconvincedmustgrownearathandwasourfirstthought。TypeeorHappar？Afrightfuldeathatthehandsofthefiercestofcannibals，orakindlyreceptionfromagentlerraceofsavages？Which？Butitwastoolatenowtodiscussaquestionwhichwouldsosoonbeanswered。

Thepartofthevalleyinwhichwefoundourselvesappearedtobealtogetheruninhabited。Analmostimpenetrablethicketextendedfromsidetoside，withoutpresentingasingleplantaffordingthenourishmentwehadconfidentlycalculatedupon；andwiththisobject，wefollowedthecourseofthestream，castingquickglancesasweproceededintothethickjunglesoneitherhand。

Mycompanion-towhosesolicitationsIhadyieldedindescendingintothevalley-nowthatthestepwastaken，begantomanifestadegreeofcautionIhadlittleexpectedfromhim。Heproposedthatintheeventofourfindinganadequatesupplyoffruit，weshouldremaininthisunfrequentedportionofthevalley-whereweshouldrunlittlechanceofbeingsurprisedbyitsoccupants，whoevertheymightbe-untilsufficientlyrecruitedtoresumeourjourney；whenlayinginastoreoffoodequaltoourwants，wemighteasilyregainthebayofNukuheva，afterthelapseofasufficientintervaltoensurethedepartureofourvessel。

Iobjectedstronglytothisproposition，plausibleasitwas，asthedifficultiesoftheroutewouldbealmostinsurmountable，unacquaintedaswewerewiththegeneralbearingsofthecountry，andIremindedmycompanionofthehardshipswhichwehadalreadyencounteredinouruncertainwanderings；inaword，Isaidthatsincewehaddeemeditadvisabletoenterthevalley，weoughtmanfullytofacetheconsequences，whatevertheymightbe；themoreespeciallyasIwasconvincedtherewasnoalternativeleftusbuttofallinwiththenativesatonce，andboldlyriskthereceptiontheymightgiveus:andthatastomyself，Ifeltthenecessityofrestandshelter，andthatuntilIhadobtainedthem，Ishouldbewhollyunabletoencountersuchsufferingsaswehadlatelypassedthrough。TothejusticeoftheseobservationsTobysomewhatreluctantlyassented。

Weweresurprisedthat，aftermovingasfaraswehadalongthevalley，weshouldstillmeetwiththesameimperviousthickets；andthinkingthatalthoughthebordersofthestreammightbelinedforsomedistancewiththem，yetbeyondtheremightbemoreopenground，I

requestedTobytokeepabrightlook-outupononeside，whileIdidthesameontheother，inordertodiscoversomeopeninginthebushes，andespeciallytowatchfortheslightestappearanceofapathoranythingelsethatmightindicatethevicinityoftheislanders。

Whatfurtiveandanxiousglanceswecastintothosedim-lookingshades！Withwhatapprehensionsweproceeded，ignorantatwhatmomentwemightbegreetedbythejavelinofsomeambushedsavage！

Atlastmycompanionpaused，anddirectedmyattentiontoanarrowopeninginthefoliage。Westruckintoit，anditsoonbroughtusbyanindistinctlytracedpathtoacomparativelyclearspace，atthefartherendofwhichwedescriedanumberofthetrees，thenativenameofwhichis“annuee，“andwhichbearamostdeliciousfruit。

Whatarace！Ihobblingoverthegroundlikesomedecrepitwretch，andTobyleapingforwardlikeagreyhound。Hequicklyclearedoneofthetreesonwhichthereweretwoorthreeofthefruit，buttoourchagrintheyprovedtobemuchdecayed；therindspartlyopenedbythebirds，andtheirheartshalfdevoured。However，wequicklydespatchedthem，andnoambrosiacouldhavebeenmoredelicious。