286 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



a ravine so deep that nothing but the cloudless blue 

 sky was to be seen overhead ; whilst on each side 

 frowned perpendicular cliffs and stupendous peaks, 

 so high that it strained the eye to look upwards to 

 their summits. Whilst we were admiring the im- 

 pressive grandeur of the scenery, a dull roaring, 

 like distant thunder, caught my ear, and on inquiry 

 Chineah informed me that the sound proceeded 

 from a cascade near which we were to bivouac. 



Having rested for a few minutes, we again pushed 

 on, and shortly afterwards fell in with the rest of 

 the gang and a party of Mulchers, who were busily 

 engaged in the construction of a bamboo hut under 

 an overhanging rock, which formed an impervious 

 shelter against the piercing beams of the sun. 



Feeling exhausted with our fag, after having paid 



a visit to B 's investment in the cowry-boxes, 



and partaken of sundry refreshing drinks, we re- 

 solved to look out for a suitable place for a bathe, 

 and strolled along the tortuous and winding bed of 

 the watercourse for a short distance, until we came 

 to a huge plateau of granite overlooking a wild, 

 rocky glen, or cleft in the mountain, which looked 

 as if it had been torn asunder by some convulsion 

 of nature, for on three sides rose perpendicular 

 cliffs, so high that the gigantic forest-trees which 

 fringed the scarped edge of their summits looked 

 diminutive as ferns. From the rugged side of one 

 of these giddy heights, a mountain stream came 

 aushinG: down, roaring like distant thunder, as it 



