{"id":"01KG8AM61Z17RPENC55BWBSWKP","cid":"bafkreiclavqr4egdi5cqynqhohcj2f3yal6b63daq2vs57svrj3qln4vkm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":2988,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:25.200Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","start_line":2920,"text":"CHAPTER NINE\r\n\r\nPERILOUS PASSAGE OF THE RAVINE--DESCENT INTO THE VALLEY\r\n\r\n\r\nThe fearless confidence of Toby was contagious, and I began to adopt the\r\nHappar side of the question. I could not, however, overcome a certain\r\nfeeling of trepidation as we made our way along these gloomy solitudes.\r\nOur progress, at first comparatively easy, became more and more\r\ndifficult. The bed of the watercourse was covered with fragments of\r\nbroken rocks, which had fallen from above, offering so many obstructions\r\nto the course of the rapid stream, which vexed and fretted about\r\nthem,--forming at intervals small waterfalls, pouring over into deep\r\nbasins, or splashing wildly upon heaps of stones.\r\n\r\nFrom the narrowness of the gorge, and the steepness of its sides, there\r\nwas no mode of advancing but by wading through the water; stumbling\r\nevery moment over the impediments which lay hidden under its surface,\r\nor tripping against the huge roots of trees. But the most annoying\r\nhindrance we encountered was from a multitude of crooked boughs, which,\r\nshooting out almost horizontally from the sides of the chasm, twisted\r\nthemselves together in fantastic masses almost to the surface of the\r\nstream, affording us no passage except under the low arches which they\r\nformed. Under these we were obliged to crawl on our hands and feet,\r\nsliding along the oozy surface of the rocks, or slipping into the deep\r\npools, and with scarce light enough to guide us. Occasionally we would\r\nstrike our heads against some projecting limb of a tree; and while\r\nimprudently engaged in rubbing the injured part, would fall sprawling\r\namongst flinty fragments, cutting and bruising ourselves, whilst the\r\nunpitying waters flowed over our prostrate bodies. Belzoni, worming\r\nhimself through the subterranean passages of the Egyptian catacombs,\r\ncould not have met with great impediments than those we here\r\nencountered. But we struggled against them manfully, well knowing our\r\nonly hope lay in advancing.\r\n\r\nTowards sunset we halted at a spot where we made preparations for\r\npassing the night. Here we constructed a hut, in much the same way as\r\nbefore, and crawling into it, endeavoured to forget our sufferings. My\r\ncompanion, I believe, slept pretty soundly; but at day break, when we\r\nrolled out of our dwelling, I felt nearly disqualified for any further\r\nefforts. Toby prescribed as a remedy for my illness the contents of one\r\nof our little silk packages, to be taken at once in a single dose. To\r\nthis species of medical treatment, however, I would by no means accede,\r\nmuch as he insisted upon it; and so we partook of our usual morsel, and\r\nsilently resumed our journey. It was now the fourth day since we left\r\nNukuheva, and the gnawings of hunger became painfully acute. We were\r\nfain to pacify them by chewing the tender bark of roots and twigs,\r\nwhich, if they did not afford us nourishment, were at least sweet and\r\npleasant to the taste.\r\n\r\nOur progress along the steep watercourse was necessarily slow, and by\r\nnoon we had not advanced more than a mile. It was somewhere near this\r\npart of the day that the noise of falling waters, which we had faintly\r\ncaught in the early morning, became more distinct; and it was not long\r\nbefore we were arrested by a rocky precipice of nearly a hundred feet\r\nin depth, that extended all across the channel, and over which the wild\r\nstream poured in an unbroken leap. On each hand the walls of the\r\nravine presented their overhanging sides both above and below the fall,\r\naffording no means whatever of avoiding the cataract by taking a circuit\r\nround it.\r\n\r\n‘What’s to be done now, Toby?’ said I.\r\n\r\n‘Why,’ rejoined he, ‘as we cannot retreat, I suppose we must keep\r\nshoving along.’\r\n\r\n‘Very true, my dear Toby; but how do you purpose accomplishing that\r\ndesirable object?’\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJQ78FJSGVW77ZGHK0KC9","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AM61Z1WD0TPBT2TCN40K9","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:28.735Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:35.349Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}