Mycompanion，Ibelieve，sleptprettysoundly；butatdaybreak，whenwerolledoutofourdwelling，Ifeltnearlydisqualifiedforanyfurtherefforts。Tobyprescribedasaremedyformyillnessthecontentsofoneofourlittlesilkpackages，tobetakenatonceinasingledose。Tothisspeciesofmedicaltreatment，however，I
　　wouldbynomeansaccede，muchasheinsisteduponit；andsowepartookofourusualmorsel，andsilentlyresumedourjourney。ItwasnowthefourthdaysinceweleftNukuheva，andthegnawingsofhungerbecamepainfullyacute。Wewerefaintopacifythembychewingthetenderbarkofrootsandtwigs，which，iftheydidnotaffordusnourishment，wereatleastsweetandpleasanttothetaste。
　　Ourprogressalongthesteepwatercoursewasnecessarilyslow，andbynoonwehadnotadvancedmorethanamile。Itwassomewherenearthispartofthedaythatthenoiseoffallingwaters，whichwehadfaintlycaughtintheearlymorning，becamemoredistinct；anditwasnotlongbeforewewerearrestedbyarockyprecipiceofnearlyahundredfeetindepth，thatextendedallacrossthechannel，andoverwhichthewildstreampouredinanunbrokenleap。Oneitherhandthewallsoftheravinepresentedtheiroverhangingsidesbothaboveandbelowthefall，affordingnomeanswhateverofavoidingthecataractbytakingacircuitroundit。
　　“What’stobedonenow，Toby？“saidI。
　　“Why，“rejoinedhe，“aswecannotretreat，Isupposewemustkeepshovingalong。“
　　“Verytrue，mydearToby；buthowdoyoupurposeaccomplishingthatdesirableobject？“
　　“Byjumpingfromthetopofthefall，iftherebenootherway，“
　　unhesitatinglyrepliedmycompanion；“itwillbemuchthequickestwayofdescent；butasyouarenotquiteasactiveasIam，wewilltrysomeotherway。“
　　Andsosaying，hecreptcautiouslyalongandpeeredoverintotheabyss，whileIremainedwonderingbywhatpossiblemeanswecouldovercomethisapparentlyinsuperableobstruction。Assoonasmycompanionhadcompletedhissurvey，Ieagerlyinquiredtheresult。
　　“Theresultofmyobservationsyouwishtoknow，doyou？“beganToby，deliberately，withoneofhisoddlooks:“well，mylad，theresultofmyobservationsisveryquicklyimparted。Itisatpresentuncertainwhichofourtwoneckswillhavethehonourtobebrokenfirst；butaboutahundredtoonewouldbeafairbetinfavourofthemanwhotakesthefirstjump。“
　　“Thenitisanimpossiblething，isit？“inquiredI，gloomily。
　　“No，shipmate；onthecontrary，itistheeasiestthinginlife:
　　theonlyawkwardpointisthesortofusagewhichourunhappylimbsmayreceivewhenwearriveatthebottom，andwhatsortoftravellingtrimweshallbeinafterwards。Butfollowmenow，andI
　　willshowyoutheonlychancewehave。“
　　Withthisheconductedmetothevergeofthecataract，andpointedalongthesideoftheravinetoanumberofcurious-lookingroots，somethreeorfourinchesinthickness，andseveralfeetlong，which，aftertwistingamongthefissuresoftherock，shotperpendicularlyfromit，andrantaperingtoapointintheair，hangingoverthegulflikesomanydarkicicles。Theycoverednearlytheentiresurfaceofonesideofthegorge，thelowestofthemreachingeventothewater。Manyweremoss-grownanddecayed，withtheirextremitiessnappedshortoff，andthoseintheimmediatevicinityofthefallwereslipperywithmoisture。
　　Toby’sscheme，anditwasadesperateone，wastoentrustourselvestothesetreacherous-lookingroots，andbyslippingdownfromonetoanothertogainthebottom。
　　“Areyoureadytoventureit？“askedToby，lookingatmeearnestly，butwithoutsayingawordastothepracticabilityoftheplan。
　　“Iam，“wasmyreply；forIsawitwasouronlyresourceifwewishedtoadvance，andasforretreating，allthoughtsofthatsorthadbeenlongabandoned。
　　AfterIhadsignifiedmyassent，Toby，withoututteringasingleword，crawledalongthedrippingledgeuntilhegainedapointfromwhencehecouldjustreachoneofthelargestofthependantroots；heshookit-itquiveredinhisgrasp，andwhenheletitgo，ittwangedintheairlikeastrongwiresharplystruck。Satisfiedbyhisscrutiny，mylight-limbedcompanionswunghimselfnimblyuponit，andtwistinghislegsrounditinsailorfashion，slippeddowneightortenfeet，wherehisweightgaveitamotionnotunlikethatofapendulum。Hecouldnotventuretodescendanyfarther；soholdingonwithonehand，hewiththeothershookonebyonealltheslenderrootsaroundhim，andatlast，findingonewhichhethoughttrustworthy，shiftedhimselftoitandcontinuedhisdownwardprogress。
　　Sofarsowell；butIcouldnotavoidcomparingmyheavierframeanddisabledconditionwithhislightfigureandremarkableactivity:buttherewasnohelpforit，andinlessthanaminute’stimeIwasswingingdirectlyoverhishead。Assoonashisupturnedeyescaughtaglimpseofme，heexclaimedinhisusualdrytone，forthedangerdidnotseemtodaunthimintheleast，“Mate，domethekindnessnottofalluntilIgetoutofyourway“；andthenswinginghimselfmoreononeside，hecontinuedhisdescent。Inthemeantime，I
　　cautiouslytransferredmyselffromthelimbdownwhichIhadbeenslippingtoacoupleofothersthatwerenearit，deemingtwostringstomybowbetterthanone，andtakingcaretotesttheirstrengthbeforeItrustedmyweighttothem。
　　Onarrivingtowardstheendofthesecondstageinthisverticaljourney，andshakingthelongrootswhichwereroundme，tomyconsternationtheysnappedoffoneafteranotherlikesomanypipestems，andfellinfragmentsagainstthesideofthegulf，splashingatlastintothewatersbeneath。
　　Asoneafteranotherthetreacherousrootsyieldedtomygrasp，andfellintothetorrent，myheartsunkwithinme。ThebranchesonwhichIwassuspendedovertheyawningchasmswangtoandfrointheair，andIexpectedthemeverymomenttosnapintwain。Appalledatthedreadfulfatethatmenacedme，Iclutchedfranticallyattheonlylargerootwhichremainednearme；butinvain；Icouldnotreachit，thoughmyfingerswerewithinafewinchesofit。AgainandagainItriedtoreachit，untilatlength，maddenedwiththethoughtofmysituation，Iswayedmyselfviolentlybystrikingmyfootagainstthesideoftherock，andattheinstantthatIapproachedthelargerootcaughtdesperatelyatit，andtransferredmyselftoit。
　　Itvibratedviolentlyunderthesuddenweight，butfortunatelydidnotgiveway。
　　MybraingrewdizzywiththeideaofthefrightfulriskIhadjustrun，andIinvoluntarilyclosedmyeyestoshutouttheviewofthedepthbeneathme。FortheinstantIwassafe，andIutteredadevoutejaculationofthanksgivingformyescape。
　　“Prettywelldone，“shoutedTobyunderneathme；“youarenimblerthanIthoughtyoutobe-hoppingaboutuptherefromroottorootlikeanyyoungsquirrel。Assoonasyouhavedivertedyourselfsufficiently，Iwouldadviseyoutoproceed。“
　　“Ay，ay，Toby，allingoodtime:twoorthreemoresuchfamousrootsasthis，andIshallbewithyou。“
　　Theresidueofmydownwardprogresswascomparativelyeasy；therootswereingreaterabundance，andinoneortwoplacesjuttingoutpointsofrockassistedmegreatly。InafewmomentsIwasstandingbythesideofmycompanion。
　　SubstitutingastoutstickfortheoneIhadthrownasideatthetopoftheprecipice，wenowcontinuedourcoursealongthebedoftheravine。Soonweweresalutedbyasoundinadvance，thatgrewbydegreeslouderandlouder，asthenoiseofthecataractwewereleavingbehindgraduallydiedohourears。
　　“Anotherprecipiceforus，Toby。“
　　“Verygood；wecandescendthem，youknow-comeon。“
　　Nothingindeedappearedtodepressorintimidatethisintrepidfellow。TypeesorNiagaras，hewasasreadytoengageoneastheother，andIcouldnotavoidathousandtimescongratulatingmyselfuponhavingsuchacompanioninanenterpriselikethepresent。
　　Afteranhour’spainfulprogress，wereachedthevergeofanotherfall，stillloftierthanthepreceding，andflankedbothaboveandbelowwiththesamesteepmassesofrock，presenting，however，hereandtherenarrowirregularledges，supportingashallowsoil，onwhichgrewavarietyofbushesandtrees，whosebrightverdurecontrastedbeautifullywiththefoamywatersthatflowedbetweenthem。