scue, and arrived just in time for my preservation.
Had I fallen with my full weight, the rope of linen would inevitably
have snapped, and I should have been precipitated into the abyss; as
it was, he contrived to let me down gently, so as to remain suspended
without danger until animation returned. This was in about fifteen
minutes. On recovery, my trepidation had entirely vanished; I felt a new
being, and, with some little further aid from my companion, reached the
bottom also in safety.

We now found ourselves not far from the ravine which had proved the
tomb of our friends, and to the southward of the spot where the hill had
fallen. The place was one of singular wildness, and its aspect brought
to my mind the descriptions given by travellers of those dreary regions
marking the site of degraded Babylon. Not to speak of the ruins of the
disrupted cliff, which formed a chaotic barrier in the vista to the
northward, the surface of the ground in every other direction was strewn
with huge tumuli, apparently the wreck of some gigantic structures of
art; although, in detail, no semblance of art could be detected.
Scoria were abundant, and large shapeless blocks of the black granite,
intermingled with others of marl, {*6} and both granulated with metal.
Of vegetation there were no traces whatsoever throughout the whole of
the desolate area within sight. Several immense scorpions were seen,
and various reptiles not elsewhere to be found in the high latitudes. As
food was our most immediate object, we resolved to make our way to the
seacoast, distant not more than half a mile, with a view of catching
turtle, several of which we had observed from our place of concealment
on the hill. We had proceeded some hundred yards, threading our route
cautiously between the huge rocks and tumuli, when, upon turning a
corner, five savages sprung upon us from a small cavern, felling Peters
to the ground with a blow from a club. As he fell the whole party rushed
upon him to secure their victim, leaving me time to recover from my
astonishment. I still had the musket, but the barrel had received so
much injury in being thrown from the precipice that I cast it aside
as useless, preferring to trust my pistols, which had been carefully
preserved in order. With these I advanced upon the assailants, firing
one after the other in quick succession. Two savages fell, and one,
who was in the act of thrusting a spear into Peters, sprung to his feet
witho