PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 



103 



mounted on a rock, had her eyes ftedfaftly fixed 

 on the main Ocean, The moment that he perceived 

 her, he exclaimed : " Where is Virginia /" Mary 

 turned her head toward her young mafter, and 

 burft into tears. Paul, in a delirium, turned 

 round, and flew to the port. He there learned, 

 that Virginia had embarked at day break, that the 

 vefTel had ftt fail immediately, and was now no 

 longer in fight. He direded his fteps back to his 

 place of habitation, and walked up and down, in 

 profound filence. 



Although this enclofure of rocks appears almoft 

 perpendicular behind us, thofe green flats which, 

 fubdivide their heights, are fo many flages, by 

 which you arrive, by means of fome intricate 

 paths, at the foot of that inclining, and inacceffible 

 cone of rocks, which is called the Thumb. At 

 the bottom of this rock, is an efplanade, covered 

 with great trees, but fo lofty, and fofteep, that they 

 appear like a large foreft in the air, furrounded with 

 fearful precipices. The clouds, which the fummit of 

 the Thumb attrads continually around it, incef- 

 fantly feed feveral cafcades of water, which are preci- 

 pitated to fuch a depth into the bottom of the valley, 

 fituated at the back of this mountain, that when you 

 are at it's top, you no longer hear the noife of their 

 fall. From this place, a great part of the ifland is 

 perceptible, and the peaks of feveral of it's moun- 



H 4 tains j 



