834 TEAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



was nearest the top, and asked him if I could go 

 down there, to which, of course, he answered yes, as 

 most people do when they do not know what to say, 

 and must give some reply. 



I had brought up with me an alpen-stock, or long 

 stick, slightly curved at one end, and with this I 

 reached do^vn and broke places for my heels in the 

 crust that covered the sand and loose stones. For 

 hundreds of feet beneath me the descent seemed per- 

 pendicular, but I slowly worked my way do^vnward 

 for more than ninety feet, and had begun to con- 

 gratulate myself on the good progress I was makiug. 

 Soon, I thought, I shall be down there, where I can 

 lay hold of that bush and feel that the worst is past, 

 when I was suddenly startled by a shout from my 

 companions, who were at some distance on my right. 

 " Stop ! Don't go a step farther, but climb directly 

 up just as you went down." I now looked round for 

 the first time, and found, to my astonishment, that I 

 was on a tongue of land between two deep, long holes 

 or fissures, where great land-slides had recently oc- 

 curred. I had kept my attention so fixed on the 

 bush before me that I had never looked to the right or 

 left — generally a good rule in such trying situations. 

 To go on was to increase my peril, so I turned, 

 climbed up again, and passed round the head of one 

 of these frightful holes. If at any time the crust had 

 been weak, and had broken beneath my heels, no 

 earthly power could have saved me from instant 

 death. As I broke place after place for my feet with 

 the staff, I thought of Professor Tyndal's dangerous 

 ascent and descent of Monte Rosa. At last I joined 



