ure.
Through the grass-land opposite he traced the course of a large brook
down to the lake; another entered it on the right, and the lake
gradually narrowed to a river on his left. Could he erect a tower there,
and bring Aurora to it, how happy he would be! A more beautiful spot he
had never seen, nor one more suited for every purpose in life.

He followed the course of the stream which left the lake, every now and
then disturbing wild goats from the cliffs, and twice he saw deer under
the oaks across it. On rounding a spur of down he saw that the river
debouched into a much wider lake, which he conjectured must be the Sweet
Waters. He went on till he reached the mouth of the river, and had then
no doubt that he was standing once more on the shore of the Sweet Water
sea. On this, the southern side, the banks were low; on the other, a
steep chalky cliff almost overhung the river, and jutted out into the
lake, curving somewhat towards him. A fort on that cliff would command
the entrance to the river; the cliff was a natural breakwater, so that
there was a haven at its base. The river appeared broad and deep enough
for navigation, so that vessels could pass from the great Lake to the
inland water; about six or seven miles, he supposed.

Felix was much taken with this spot; the beauty of the inland lake, the
evident richness of the soil, the river communicating with the great
Lake, the cliff commanding its entrance; never, in all his wanderings,
had he seen a district so well suited for a settlement and the founding
of a city. If he had but a thousand men! How soon he would bring Aurora
there, and build a tower, and erect a palisade! So occupied was he with
the thought that he returned the whole distance to the spot where he had
made the discovery. There he remained a long time, designing it all in
his mind.

The tower he would build yonder, three-quarters of a mile, perhaps a
mile, inland from the opposite shore, on a green knoll, at the base of
which the brook flowed. It would be even more pleasant there than on the
shore of the lake. The forest he would clear back a little, and put up a
stout palisade, enclosing at least three miles of grassy land. By the
shore of the lake he would build his town, so that his vessels might be
able to go forth into the great Sweet Water sea. So strongly did
imagination hold him that he did not observe how near it was to sunset,
nor did he remark the threatening aspect of the sky. Thund