INLAND LAKES. 



05 



masonry ; and tlie gap iiiiglit be n ki*go portal, a 

 hundred feet in Iieiglit, broken through the immense stone 

 w;tll, Tlie creepers also were hence eseen to great 

 ativantagc, somo of tliem falHiig in most beautiful 

 luxuriance the whole length from the summit of the 

 fearrounding heights to tlie water's edge. The lake maj 

 at one timo^ hy some convidsion, have risen and burst 

 through its barriers at tins spot into the lo%vcr basin ; 

 ivhich in turn may, by a similar process, have formed the 

 gap in the outer side^ and then subsided to its present sea 

 ievel. Such was the appearance which it had to us. 



Taken altogether, we had certainly here presented to m 

 a gieat imtural curiosity, I should have added that tho 

 chfls on the lake-side were intersected at regular distances 

 bj a sti'atum of cougloinerate ; and the whole scene was 

 so novel and so pecuHar as to render description difficult. 

 The natives havmg spoken of the existence of other 

 simibr lakes at no great distance, we explored in the 

 direction to which thoy guided lis, but made no new 

 discoveries. The sacred bottom of the lake was dredged 

 by the conchologists of our party, but without finding any 

 shells. 



We left the shore not a Httie proud of having dis- 

 covered an object of curiosity which had escaped so 

 keen an observer as Sir Edward Belcher, who, though 

 he had the hono\ir of finding the lower basin, was 

 not aware of the existence of the far more wonderful 

 lake above. There is no knowing how fai' ovou a 



