THE ARCHIPELAGO OF BREHAT. 81 



alone protect this part of the island from its en- 

 croachments. 



The Paon is composed of two enormous banks of 

 granite, which, upheaved from the sea's bottom, 

 rise far above the contiguous land, inclining towards 

 one another as if for mutual protection. The sea has 

 opened for itself a narrow passage between the per- 

 pendicular rocks, which reminds us of Roland's Pass. 

 The traveller at first advances between these two 

 walls on a level with the beach, without encountering 

 any obstacle beyond a few large stones rubbed 

 smooth by the friction of the waters, but at the end 

 of a few paces a subterranean rumbling of waters 

 warns him to retrace his steps. Before him yawns 

 a chasm which is scarcely three feet across at its 

 mouth, but which widens towards high- water mark, 

 until it expands into a colossal funnel. A block of 

 granite, weighing many hundreds of tons, which must 

 have been detached by some storm from the rocks 

 above, rests like a massive bridge upon the two oppo- 

 site banks of the gulf which it spans. When the 

 heavy sea strikes the shore, the waves rush with 

 accelerated force through the narrow enclosure of 

 these rocks, and in striving to force their way below 

 the bridge exert an incalculable amount of force, 

 which enables them to raise the enormous mass. 

 When this obstacle is passed, the waves break into 

 foam and mist, which are projected vertically up- 

 wards in a huge white column, and the bridge falls 

 back to its unshaken supports, to be again and again 

 upheaved as the rushing waters rise beneath it. This 

 struggle, which has probably endured for ages, will 



YOL. I. G 



