The Descent Lasted Nearly Ten Minutes, And Ere We Had
Entirely Accomplished It, The Light In The Lantern Went Out, And We
Remained In Nearly Total Darkness.
Encouraged, however, by the guide, who assured us there was no
danger, we at length reached the bottom of the ravine; here we
encountered a rill of water, through which we were compelled to
wade as high as the knee.
In the midst of the water I looked up
and caught a glimpse of the heavens through the branches of the
trees, which all around clothed the shelving sides of the ravine
and completely embowered the channel of the stream: to a place
more strange and replete with gloom and horror no benighted
traveller ever found his way. After a short pause we commenced
scaling the opposite bank, which we did not find so steep as the
other, and a few minutes' exertion brought us to the top.
Shortly afterwards the rain abated, and the moon arising cast a dim
light through the watery mists; the way had become less
precipitous, and in about two hours we descended to the shore of an
extensive creek, along which we proceeded till we reached a spot
where many boats and barges lay with their keels upward upon the
sand. Presently we beheld before us the walls of Viveiro, upon
which the moon was shedding its sickly lustre. We entered by a
lofty and seemingly ruinous archway, and the guide conducted us at
once to the posada.
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