It was some time before Emily and Grace could get rid of their fright sufficiently to begin their descent. They had now plenty of people to assist them, and ropes fastened round their waists to prevent the risk of accidents. They soon reached the level of the water. We then proceeded towards the gap. Here we were again stopped for some time, finding a way by which we might ascend the cliffy sides. However, the shrubs and the broken under-cliffs enabled us at length to climb up, passing close to the waterfall formed between the two. The whole party uttered an exclamation of surprise and delight when we entered within the circle of the inner lake. The sides were covered with the most beautiful and luxuriant vegetation. Jungle trees of every description jutted out from the crevices of the rocks, their trunks and branches bearing an endless variety of beautiful creepers in brilliant blossom, hanging down in festoons to the very water’s edge. Over our heads, disturbed at our appearance, flew a number of pigeons and other birds of beautiful plumage, backwards and forwards. The water was intensely blue, and beautifully clear.
“I should not be surprised but what this is one of the lakes I have heard speak of which has no bottom,” observed Dick Tarbox. “They say that water-spirits and monsters of all sorts live in some of them. I do not know what they would think at our coming among them.”
“I have heard of lakes without bottoms, but I have always found, on fathoming them, that they were not so deep as was supposed,” observed my uncle. “I should like to try this one. It may be very deep, but I suspect that it is much shallower than from the top of these cliffs down to where we stand. What should you say, boatswain, if the rope you hold in your hand, with a stone fastened to it, would reach the bottom and give you some feet to spare?”
“Well, sir, you know better than I do; but I should be surprised if by fastening all the ropes we have together we found soundings.”
At last it was agreed that we should build a raft and try. We had ample materials; for in one corner was a large grove of bamboos, and plenty of other light wood trees growing about. We soon cut down some of the larger bamboos, with ratan to secure the cross pieces, and had an amply buoyant raft to carry one person out into the centre. I begged that I might go on it, but Dick Tarbox said he would make the expedition. He soon had a paddle formed out of bamboo, and sitting down on his somewhat frail bark, away he went, with a coil of rope before him, to which a stone was attached, into the middle of the lake. We all watched him eagerly as he let down the stone, when lo, and behold, long before the rope had run out, the stone had reached the bottom.
“There must be a rock out here!” he exclaimed. “It cannot be so shallow as this.” Again he pulled up his stone, and pulled away between the centre and the shore. “Soundings again!” he cried; “and rather less than in the middle. I cannot make it out.”
He now paddled round and round the lake, dropping the stone every now and then, and at length came round to the spot where he had embarked.
“You are satisfied now,” said Mr Sedgwick. “I have generally found it to be the case that lakes which are reputed fathomless are like this one.”
We all in turns had a paddle on the lake, and as the raft was found large enough to support fully a couple of men, Emily and Grace got on it, and I acted as their boatman. We took the circuit of the lake, while they admired the beautiful scenery I have already described. Our uncle meantime was hunting about for birds and butterflies. The gap, when we were on the opposite side, had a curious appearance, being like a large gateway, fully one hundred feet in height, though broken and ruinous. The creepers also were seen to great advantage, some of them falling in the most beautiful luxuriance from the very summits of the surrounding heights down to the water’s edge, many of them covered the whole length with brilliant flowers.
“What a delightful place for a pic-nic!” exclaimed Emily.