THE IMATRA TORRENT. 481 



at Imatra in Finland, within easy reach from St. 

 Petersburg. It is enclosed just in this way, between 

 rocky walls of no great height, and the visitor can 

 approach without difficulty to the very edge of the 

 chasm; so that he can see the whole thing at his 

 leisure, while occupying comfortable quarters in the 

 excellent hotel, which has been established close at 

 hand, we believe by a Frenchman, from whence fine 

 fishing can be enjoyed in the midst of charming scenery. 



Here, perhaps almost more than anywhere else, the 

 impression conveyed to the mind while watching the 

 frantic rush of the raging torrent, is that of being in the 

 presence of an absolutely resistless power; and in still 

 weather the sullen roar of its waters is audible for con- 

 siderable distances through the surrounding forests." * 



In the case of torrents situated in ravines of great 

 mountain chains, such for instance as the Himalayas, 

 many even wilder scenes of furious waters may doubtless 

 be witnessed, whose dull thunder, especially by night, 

 resounds with awe-inspiring grandeur among the sur- 

 rounding hills; but access to points of vantage where 

 a good view of them can be had, in many cases proves 

 both difficult and dangerous. Many of these mighty 

 chasms (each one of which, it is impossible to doubt, 

 has been mainly or altogether excavated by the work 

 of water) are thousands of feet in depth; with more or 

 less precipitous sides, which can only be descended or 

 ascended by a great expenditure of physical labour, 

 combined very often with a certain amount of risk ; 

 and the heights along which the paths and other lines 



* A common experiment to give an idea of the force of this torrent 

 is to cast an empty barrel into the stream, which is in general instantly 

 torn to pieces by the raging waters. 



VOL. II. 31 



