e wood parting, as if artificially,
displayed deep ravines, to look down which, without becoming
dizzy, required no little strength of head; whilst above, the
same hill continued to stretch itself to a height far beyond any
I had before gazed upon. Presently after it conducted me gently
down into valleys completely shut out from the rest of the world;
and as I descended I could hear the roar of water, though
neither, the stream nor the bottom of the glen could be
perceived. On one of these occasions, after passing through a
thick grove, I beheld a river of some width dashing along the
glen, and chafing so as to produce the noise of a mighty
waterfall. Towards the brink of this river my guide conducted me;
when, plunging in, we made our way with some difficulty to the
opposite bank, and again began to ascend.

For several hours, the same scenery surrounded me, only varied by
the occasional appearance of clusters of negro huts. Than these,
it is impossible to imagine any species of huts or dwellings more
beautifully picturesque. They are constructed of strong limbs of
trees, thatched over with straw, and usually ending in a cone;
having no windows, but only two, or sometimes four doors, for the
purpose of admitting a free current of air. The spots chosen for
their erection, are generally small platforms or terraces in the
sides of the hills. A little path, similar to that along which I
travelled, winds down from their doors to the bottom of the
valley, and conducts to the edge of the river, from whence the
inhabitants are supplied with water. Other tracks likewise
branch off in different directions, some towards the summit, and
others along the sides of the mountains; leading, probably, to
the fields or spots where the inhabitants labour. These huts have
no chimney, but only a large hole in the roof, to give free
passage to the smoke; and I could perceive, by its rise at
present, that fires were now burning.

It would be labour lost, were I to attempt any more minute
description of this delightful journey. Every step I took
presented something new, and something more grand and sublime
than I had just quitted; whilst the continual fording of the
swollen river (for I crossed the same stream no fewer than
eight-and-twenty times) gave an additional interest to the scene,
arising from the sense of danger. The rainy season having just
ended, this stream, the Wag-water, a most appropriate name, had
not as yet retu