114 NATURE OF THE COUNTRY. 



wide, in others not less than twenty fathoms deep, and 

 hurrying through, as if to force a passage, with 

 a velocity sometimes not less than six miles an 

 hour. It continues a rapid stream during its pas- 

 sage through this defile, an extent of some thirty 

 miles, and beyond it is found slowly winding its 

 way towards the sea across a rich alluvial plain, 

 fifteen miles in width. Above this plain is found a 

 second range of similar character and formation to 

 that before mentioned ; the stream, however, having 

 of course somewhat less both of width and depth, 

 and flowing with a decreased rapidity. The elevation 

 of the hills on either side was at first entering con- 

 siderably less than in the former range ; they had 

 also lost much of their steep and precipitous ap- 

 pearance ; but as we gradually proceeded up, the 

 former distinctive characteristics returned : the 

 hills rose higher and more boldly, almost immedi- 

 ately from the water's edge, and continued each 

 mile to present a loftier and more rugged front ; 

 never however attaining the extreme altitude of the 

 former or Sea Range. Above Reach Hopeless the 

 width of the alluvial land, lying between the imme- 

 diate margin of the river and the hills which bound 

 its valley, considerably increased ; and just in pro- 

 portion as the high bold land approached the chan- 

 nel on one shore, it receded from it on the opposite, 

 and left an extensive alluvial flat between that bank 

 and the retreating hills ; the whole valley, too, 

 widened out, so that, supposing the stream at one 



