Behind us rose the lowest spurs of the second range, leading
abruptly to the range itself; and at a distance of half a mile began the
gorge, where the river narrowed and became boisterous and terrible. The
beauty of the scene cannot be conveyed in language. The one side of the
valley was blue with evening shadow, through which loomed forest and
precipice, hillside and mountain top; and the other was still brilliant
with the sunset gold. The wide and wasteful river with its ceaseless
rushing--the beautiful water-birds too, which abounded upon the islets
and were so tame that we could come close up to them--the ineffable
purity of the air--the solemn peacefulness of the untrodden region--could
there be a more delightful and exhilarating combination?
We set about making our camp, close to some large bush which came down
from the mountains on to the flat, and tethered out our horses upon
ground as free as we could find it from anything round which they might
wind the rope and get themselves tied up. We dared not let them run
loose, lest they might stray down the river home again. We then gathered
wood and lit the fire. We filled a tin pannikin with water and set it
against the hot ashes to boil.
Pages:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40