enetrated the black and yawning chasm which then gaped at our
feet. Again we gazed upon the prospect which the height commanded, but it
was just as depressing as the one which had before met our eyes. I now
felt that in our present situation it was in vain for us to think of ever
overcoming the obstacles in our way, and I gave up all thoughts of
reaching the vale which lay beyond this series of impediments; while at
the same time I could not devise any scheme to extricate ourselves from
the difficulties in which we were involved.

The remotest idea of returning to Nukuheva unless assured of our vessel's
departure, never once entered my mind, and indeed it was questionable
whether we could have succeeded in reaching it, divided as we were from
the bay by a distance we could not compute, and perplexed too in our
remembrance of localities by our recent wanderings. Besides, it was
unendurable the thought of retracing our steps and rendering all our
painful exertions of no avail.

There is scarcely anything when a man is in difficulties that he is more
disposed to look upon with abhorrence than a right-about retrograde
movement--a systematic going over of the already trodden ground: and
especially if he has a love of adventure, such a course appears
indescribably repulsive, so long as there remains the least hope to be
derived from braving untried difficulties.

It was this feeling that prompted us to descend the opposite side of the
elevation we had just scaled, although with what definite object in view
it would have been impossible for either of us to tell.

Without exchanging a syllable upon the subject, Toby and myself
simultaneously renounced the design which had lured us thus far--perceiving
in each other's countenances that desponding expression which speaks more
eloquently than words.

Together we stood towards the close of this weary day in the cavity of the
third gorge we had entered, wholly incapacitated for any further exertion,
until restored to some degree of strength by food and repose.

We seated ourselves upon the least uncomfortable spot we could select, and
Toby produced from the bosom of his frock the sacred package. In silence
we partook of the small morsel of refreshment that had been left from the
morning's repast, and without once proposing to violate the sanctity of
our engagement with respect to the remainder, we rose to our feet, and
proceeded to construct some sort of shelter under which we