of the Old World. 299 



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 gushing down, roaring like 

 distant thunder, as it fell foaming and boiling upon 

 massive boulders of rocks below, and causing a misty 

 vapour to arise, in which numberless mimic rainbows 

 appeared and vanished with magical rapidity. At 

 the base of the fall was a clear pellucid pool, about 

 two hundred yards in diameter, surrounded by live 

 rocks of gray granite, rising high above the water's 

 edge, except upon the side near which we were 

 standing, where there was a shelving bank of sand. 



"What a glorious place that is for a dip, in the 



shade of those overhanging rocks !" cried B , 



after we had gazed for some moments upon the 

 romantic beauty of the scene. 



" Yes," I replied, " if we are sure that it is not 

 infested with ' muggers ' (alligators), but I must confess 

 I should not like to venture the first plunge until I 

 have made a careful examination of the bank, for I 

 never saw a more likely-looking spot for such kind of 



vermin." 



"You do not say so," replied he. "By Jove! 



