The dark, wooded ravine of a fortnight ago, with a
foliage-hidden stream, running sluggishly, at the bottom, existed no
longer. Instead, my eyes showed me a ragged chasm, partly filled with a
gloomy lake of turbid water. All one side of the ravine was stripped of
underwood, showing the bare rock.
A little to my left, the side of the Pit appeared to have collapsed
altogether, forming a deep V-shaped cleft in the face of the rocky
cliff. This rift ran, from the upper edge of the ravine, nearly down to
the water, and penetrated into the Pit side, to a distance of some forty
feet. Its opening was, at least, six yards across; and, from this, it
seemed to taper into about two. But, what attracted my attention, more
than even the stupendous split itself, was a great hole, some distance
down the cleft, and right in the angle of the V. It was clearly defined,
and not unlike an arched doorway in shape; though, lying as it did in
the shadow, I could not see it very distinctly.
The opposite side of the Pit, still retained its verdure; but so torn
in places, and everywhere covered with dust and rubbish, that it was
hardly distinguishable as such.
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