I0O STUDIES Of NATURE. 



<£ felves, after they had run away from their frïaf- 

 iC ters. From the fhore of the fea, you rife by a 

 * e gentle afcent, for feven leagues together, in or- 

 " der to reach this plain, by the lingle path that 

 * c leads to it, along the river of Saint Stephen : it is 

 '.' poflible, however, to ride up on horfeback. The 

 " foil is good and fmooth to about a league and a 

 " half, on this fide the plain, planted with large and 

 " beautiful trees, the foliage of which, as it falls, 

 *f ferves for food to the tortoifes, which are to be 

 " found there in great numbers. 



" The height of this plain may be eftimated 

 *' at two leagues above the Horizon ; it accord- 

 " ingly appears from below to be quite loft in the 

 *f clouds. It's circumference may be about four 

 " or five leagues. The cold is there infupport- 

 *' able, and a continual fog, which wets as much as 

 " rain, prevents your feeing objects ten paces dif- 

 " tant j as it falls in the night, you may fee 

 " through it more clearly than by day : but then 

 " it freezes dreadfully, and in the morning, before 

 " fun rife, the plain is frozen ail over. 



<f But what ftrikes the eye of the beholder as 

 " very extraordinary, are certain elevations of 

 " ground, cut out almoft in form of round co- 

 " lumns, and of a prodigious height; for they 

 " cannot be much lower than the turrets of Notrc- 



il Dame 



