e at the cliff will answer these interrogatories.

At the first glance it might be noted that that part of the precipice
surrounding the bay--or ravine, as it might more properly be called--was
lower than elsewhere,--perhaps not quite three hundred feet in height.
It was not this peculiarity, however, at which Karl was rejoicing. A
ladder of three hundred feet was not to be thought of any more than one
of three thousand. It was that he had just observed upon the face of
the cliff a series of ledges that rose, shelf-like, one above the other.
The rock had a seamed or stratified appearance, although it was a
species of granite; but the strata were not by any means regular, and
the ledges were at unequal distances from each other. Some, too, were
broader than the rest, and some appeared very narrow indeed; but many of
them were evidently of sufficient width to form the stepping-place for a
ladder. The lower ones especially appeared as though they might easily
be scaled by a series of ladders, each from twenty to thirty feet
long,--but with regard to those near the top, Karl had great doubts.
The shelves did not seem more distant from each other than those below,
but their horizontal breadth appeared less. This might possibly be an
optical delusion, caused by the greater distance from which they were
viewed; but if so, it would not much mend the matter for the design
which Karl had in view--since the deception that would have given him an
advantage in the breadth would have been against him in the height,
making the latter too great, perhaps, for any ladder that could be got
up.

If you have ever stood by the bottom of a great precipice, you may have
noticed how difficult it is to judge of the dimensions of an object far
up its face. A ledge several feet in width will appear as a mere seam
in the rock, and a bird or other creature that may be seen upon it,
will, to the eyes of the beholder, be reduced far below its real bulk.
Karl was philosopher enough to understand these things, he had studied
in an elementary way, the laws of optics, and therefore was not going to
come to conclusions too hastily.

In order the better to form judgment about the breadth of the ledges,
and the height of the respective intervals between them, he stepped back
as far as the ground would permit him.

Unfortunately this was not far, for the cliff on the other side, as
already stated, was but a few paces distant. Consequently he was soo