38 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



covered the road ; for, in her eagernefs to do good, 

 {he had forgotten to put on her flioes. Feeling 

 herfelf reHeved by the freflinefs of thefe leaves, Ihe 

 broke off a branch of bamboo, and proceeded on 

 her journey, reding one hand on this reed, and 

 the other on her brother. They thus walked 

 flowly on through the woods ; but the height of 

 the trees, and the thicknefs of their foliage, foon 

 made them lofe fight of the mountain of the Three 

 Paps, to which they were direding their courfe, 

 and even of the Sun, which was near fetting. After 

 fome time, they ftrayed, without perceiving it, 

 from the beaten path which they had hitherto pur- 

 fued, and found themfelves in a labyrinth of trees 

 of lianes, and of rocks which had no outlet. 



Pûîd made Virginia fit down, and ran about 

 quite diflraded, in queft of a road that would lead 

 them out of this maze, but he fatigued himfelf in 

 vain. He fcrambled to the top of a large tree, 

 with the hope of difcovering, at leaft, the moun- 

 tain of the Three Paps, but he could perceive no- 

 thing around him, except the fummits of trees, 

 fome of which were gilded by the laft rays of the 

 fetting Sun. In the mean time, the fliadow of the 

 mountains had already covered the forefts in the 

 vailles ; the wind was hufhed, as it ufually is at 

 the fetting of the Sun ; a profound filence reigned 

 in thefe folitudes, and no other found was to be 



heard. 



