Toby，whoinvariablyactedaspioneer，nowproceededtoreconnoitre。Onhisreturn，hereportedthattheshelvesofrockonourrightwouldenableustogainwithlittleriskthebottomofthecataract。Accordingly，leavingthebedofthestreamattheverypointwhereitthundereddown，webegancrawlingalongoneoftheseslopingledgesuntilitcarriedustowithinafewfeetofanotherthatinclineddownwardatastillsharperangle，anduponwhich，byassistingeachother，wemanagedtoalightinsafety。Wewarilycreptalongthis，steadyingourselvesbythenakedrootsoftheshrubsthatclungtoeveryfissure。Asweproceeded，thenarrowpathbecamestillmorecontracted，renderingitdifficultforustomaintainourfooting，untilsuddenly，aswereachedanangleofthewallofrockwherewehadexpectedittowiden，weperceivedtoourconsternation，thatayardortwofartheronitabruptlyterminatedataplacewecouldnotpossiblyhopetopass。
Toby，asusual，ledthevan，andinsilenceIwaitedtolearnfromhimhowheproposedtoextricateusfromthisnewdifficulty。
“Well，myboy，“Iexclaimed，aftertheexpirationofseveralminutes，duringwhichtimemycompanionhadnotutteredaword:
“what’stobedonenow？“
Herepliedinatranquiltonethatprobablythebestthingwecoulddointhepresentstraitwastogetoutofitassoonaspossible。
“Yes，mydearToby，buttellmehowwearetogetoutofit。“
“Somethinginthissortofstyle，“hereplied；andatthesamemoment，tomyhorror，heslippedsidewaysofftherock，and，asIthenthought，bygoodfortunemerely，alightedamongthespreadingbranchesofaspeciesofpalmtree，thatshootingitshardyrootsalongaledgebelow，curveditstrunkupwardsintotheair，andpresentedathickmassoffoliageabouttwentyfeetbelowthespotwherewehadthussuddenlybeenbroughttoastand-still。Iinvoluntarilyheldmybreath，expectingtoseetheformofmycompanion，afterbeingsustainedforamomentbythebranchesofthetree，sinkthroughtheirfrailsupport，andfallheadlongtothebottom。Tomysurpriseandjoy，however，herecoveredhimself，anddisentanglinghislimbsfromthefracturedbranches，hepeeredoutfromhisleafybed，andshoutedlustily，“Comeon，myhearty，thereisnootheralternative！“andwiththisheduckedbeneaththefoliage，andslippingdownthetrunk，stoodinamomentatleastfiftyfeetbeneathme，uponthebroadshelfofrockfromwhichsprungthetreehehaddescended。
WhatwouldInothavegivenatthatmomenttohavebeenbyhisside？Thefeathehadjustaccomplishedseemedlittlelessthanmiraculous，andIcouldhardlycredittheevidenceofmysenseswhenI
sawthewidedistancethatasingledaringacthadsosuddenlyplacedbetweenus。
Toby’sanimating“comeon！“againsoundedinmyears，anddreadingtoloseallconfidencemyselfifIremainedmeditatinguponthestep，Ioncemoregazeddowntoassuremyselfoftherelativebearingofthetreeandmyownposition，andthenclosingmyeyesandutteringonecomprehensiveejaculationofprayer，Iinclinedmyselfovertowardstheabyss，andafteronebreathlessinstantfellwithacrashintothetree，thebranchessnappingandcracklingwithmyweight，asIsunklowerandloweramongthem，untilIwasstoppedbycomingincontactwithasturdylimb。
InafewmomentsIwasstandingatthefootofthetree，manipulatingmyselfalloverwithaviewofascertainingtheextentoftheinjurieshadreceived。Tomysurprisetheonlyeffectsofmyfeatwereafewslightcontusionstootriflingtocareabout。Therestofourdescentwaseasilyaccomplished，andinhalfanhourafterregainingtheravine，wehadpartakenofoureveningmorsel，builtourhutasusual，andcrawledunderitsshelter。
Thenextmorning，inspiteofourdebilityandtheagonyofhungerunderwhichwewerenowsuffering，thoughneitherofusconfessedtothefact，westruggledalongourdismalandstilldifficultanddangerouspath，cheeredbythehopeofsooncatchingaglimpseofthevalleybeforeus，andtowardseveningthevoiceofacataractwhichhadforsometimesoundedlikealowdeepbasstothemusicofthesmallerwaterfalls，brokeuponourearsinstillloudertones，andassuredusthatwewereapproachingitsvicinity。
Thateveningwestoodonthebrinkofaprecipice，overwhichthedarkstreamboundedinonefinalleapoffull300feet。Thesheerdescentterminatedintheregionwesolonghadsought。Oneithersideofthefall，twoloftyandperpendicularbluffsbuttressedthesidesoftheenormouscliff，andprojectedintotheseaofverdurewithwhichthevalleywaved，andarangeofsimilarprojectingeminencesstooddisposedinahalfcircleabouttheheadofthevale。Athickcanopyoftreeshungovertheveryvergeofthefall，leavinganarchedapertureforthepassageofthewaters，whichimpartedastrangepicturesquenesstothescene。
Thevalleywasnowbeforeus；butinsteadofbeingconductedintoitssmilingbosombythegradualdescentofthedeepwatercoursewehadthusfarpursued，allourlaboursnowappearedtohavebeenrenderedfutilebyitsabrupttermination。But，bitterlydisappointed，wedidnotentirelydespair。
Asitwasnownearsunsetwedeterminedtopassthenightwherewewere，andonthemorrow，refreshedbysleep，andbyeatingatonemealallourstockoffood，toaccomplishadescentintothevalley，orperishintheattempt。
Welaidourselvesdownthatnightonaspot，therecollectionofwhichstillmakesmeshudder。Asmalltableofrockwhichprojectedovertheprecipiceononesideofthestream，andwasdrenchedbythesprayofthefall，sustainedahugetrunkofatreewhichmusthavebeendepositedtherebysomeheavyfreshet。Itlayobliquely，withoneendrestingontherockandtheothersupportedbythesideoftheravine。Againstitweplacedinaslopingdirectionanumberofthehalf-decayedboughsthatwerestrewnabout，andcoveringthewholewithtwigsandleaves，awaitedthemorning’slightbeneathsuchshelterasitafforded。
Duringthewholeofthisnightthecontinualroaringofthecataract-thedismalmoaningofthegalethroughthetrees-thepatteringoftherain，andtheprofounddarkness，affectedmyspiritstoadegreewhichnothinghadeverbeforeproduced。Wet，half-famished，andchilledtotheheartwiththedampnessoftheplace，andnearlywildwiththepainIendured，Ifairlycowereddowntotheearthunderthismultiplicationofhardships，andabandonedmyselftofrightfulanticipationsofevil；andmycompanion，whosespiritatlastwasagooddealbroken，scarcelyutteredawordduringthewholenight。
Atlengththedaydawneduponus，andrisingfromourmiserablepallet，westretchedourstiffenedjoints，andaftereatingallthatremainedofourbread，preparedforthelaststageofourjourney。
Iwillnotrecounteveryhairbreadthescape，andeveryfearfuldifficultythatoccurredbeforewesucceededinreachingthebosomofthevalley。AsIhavealreadydescribedsimilarscenes，itwillbesufficienttosaythatatlength，aftergreattoilandgreatdangers，webothstoodwithnolimbsbrokenattheheadofthatmagnificentvalewhichfivedaysbeforehadsosuddenlyburstuponmysight，andalmostbeneaththeshadowofthoseverycliffsfromwhosesummitswehadgazedupontheprospect。
HOWtoobtainthefruitwhichwefeltconvincedmustgrownearathandwasourfirstthought。TypeeorHappar？Afrightfuldeathatthehandsofthefiercestofcannibals，orakindlyreceptionfromagentlerraceofsavages？Which？Butitwastoolatenowtodiscussaquestionwhichwouldsosoonbeanswered。
Thepartofthevalleyinwhichwefoundourselvesappearedtobealtogetheruninhabited。Analmostimpenetrablethicketextendedfromsidetoside，withoutpresentingasingleplantaffordingthenourishmentwehadconfidentlycalculatedupon；andwiththisobject，wefollowedthecourseofthestream，castingquickglancesasweproceededintothethickjunglesoneitherhand。
Mycompanion-towhosesolicitationsIhadyieldedindescendingintothevalley-nowthatthestepwastaken，begantomanifestadegreeofcautionIhadlittleexpectedfromhim。Heproposedthatintheeventofourfindinganadequatesupplyoffruit，weshouldremaininthisunfrequentedportionofthevalley-whereweshouldrunlittlechanceofbeingsurprisedbyitsoccupants，whoevertheymightbe-untilsufficientlyrecruitedtoresumeourjourney；whenlayinginastoreoffoodequaltoourwants，wemighteasilyregainthebayofNukuheva，afterthelapseofasufficientintervaltoensurethedepartureofourvessel。
Iobjectedstronglytothisproposition，plausibleasitwas，asthedifficultiesoftheroutewouldbealmostinsurmountable，unacquaintedaswewerewiththegeneralbearingsofthecountry，andIremindedmycompanionofthehardshipswhichwehadalreadyencounteredinouruncertainwanderings；inaword，Isaidthatsincewehaddeemeditadvisabletoenterthevalley，weoughtmanfullytofacetheconsequences，whatevertheymightbe；themoreespeciallyasIwasconvincedtherewasnoalternativeleftusbuttofallinwiththenativesatonce，andboldlyriskthereceptiontheymightgiveus:andthatastomyself，Ifeltthenecessityofrestandshelter，andthatuntilIhadobtainedthem，Ishouldbewhollyunabletoencountersuchsufferingsaswehadlatelypassedthrough。TothejusticeoftheseobservationsTobysomewhatreluctantlyassented。
Weweresurprisedthat，aftermovingasfaraswehadalongthevalley，weshouldstillmeetwiththesameimperviousthickets；andthinkingthatalthoughthebordersofthestreammightbelinedforsomedistancewiththem，yetbeyondtheremightbemoreopenground，I
requestedTobytokeepabrightlook-outupononeside，whileIdidthesameontheother，inordertodiscoversomeopeninginthebushes，andespeciallytowatchfortheslightestappearanceofapathoranythingelsethatmightindicatethevicinityoftheislanders。
Whatfurtiveandanxiousglanceswecastintothosedim-lookingshades！Withwhatapprehensionsweproceeded，ignorantatwhatmomentwemightbegreetedbythejavelinofsomeambushedsavage！
Atlastmycompanionpaused，anddirectedmyattentiontoanarrowopeninginthefoliage。Westruckintoit，anditsoonbroughtusbyanindistinctlytracedpathtoacomparativelyclearspace，atthefartherendofwhichwedescriedanumberofthetrees，thenativenameofwhichis“annuee，“andwhichbearamostdeliciousfruit。
Whatarace！Ihobblingoverthegroundlikesomedecrepitwretch，andTobyleapingforwardlikeagreyhound。Hequicklyclearedoneofthetreesonwhichthereweretwoorthreeofthefruit，buttoourchagrintheyprovedtobemuchdecayed；therindspartlyopenedbythebirds，andtheirheartshalfdevoured。However，wequicklydespatchedthem，andnoambrosiacouldhavebeenmoredelicious。
