THE DEMBRA GORGE. 123 



when swollen with rains, is impassable. As it 

 was, we had to cross and recross eighty times, the 

 depth of the fords averaging from three to four 

 feet. On each side the cliffs rise to a stupendous 

 height : in some places suddenly sloping from 

 the mountain top to the stream, their sides co- 

 vered with pines, their bases hidden by carob 

 trees ; in others broken into perpendicular and 

 overhanging precipices, towering one over the 

 other, furrowed by ancient passages of the river, 

 and excavated by nature into great caves. Here 

 and there the accumulation of banks of gravel 

 in the river bed formed little grassy plains, in 

 which high pines had contrived to find root, 

 whilst under them grew many beautiful Or- 

 chideous plants and Fritillaries. In the wider 

 parts of the ravine, the pine woods are of 

 great beauty, and we passed several groups of 

 woodcutters engaged in felling the finest trees to 

 float down the river. Two hours down the gorge, 

 at the point where it began to open out, are the 

 ruins of an ancient Christian church or mo- 

 nastery. Hereabout, we had a sanguinary en- 

 counter with the ferocious dogs of the Urooks, 

 which mustering to the number of a dozen, 

 charged us and our cavalcade, and, breaking our 



