ON THE COAST OF AEEAN 51 



from their beds, and have evidently crashed and 

 bounded over each other. You can still see 

 how the ground has been flattened, or dragged, 

 or ploughed up by what went over it ; and how, 

 in some cases, a rock larger than usual has 

 stopped in its headlong course and then divided 

 the stream of smaller blocks. In one place I 

 took a measurement, and found that the width 

 of the torrent must have been fifty yards. It 

 would not be easy to find a scene of wilder 

 confusion, or a more striking evidence of what 

 may be done by the uncontrollable forces of 

 Nature. 



The twilight pursued us fast as we ran, 

 sometimes breast-high in bracken and heather, 

 down into Sannox Glen. When we reached the 

 village it was almost dark, but the masts of the 

 boats in the harbour were sharp and clear 

 against an orange sky in the north. 



E 2 



