Havingthreadedthemazesofthischannelforsomehours，thegloomdeepeningeverymoment，asharpandunexpectedturnofthevesselbroughtitsuddenly，asifdroppedfromheaven，intoacircularbasinofveryconsiderableextentwhencomparedwiththewidthofthegorge。Itwasabouttwohundredyardsindiameter，andgirtinatallpointsbutonethatimmediatelyfrontingthevesselasitenteredbyhillsequalingeneralheighttothewallsofthechasm，althoughofathoroughlydifferentcharacter。Theirsidesslopedfromthewater’sedgeatanangleofsomeforty-fivedegrees，andtheywereclothedfrombasetosummitnotaperceptiblepointescapinginadraperyofthemostgorgeousflower-blossoms；scarcelyagreenleafbeingvisibleamongtheseaofodorousandfluctuatingcolor。Thisbasinwasofgreatdepth，butsotransparentwasthewaterthatthebottom，whichseemedtoconsistofathickmassofsmallroundalabasterpebbles，wasdistinctlyvisiblebyglimpses
thatistosay，whenevertheeyecouldpermititselfnottosee，fardownintheinvertedheaven，theduplicatebloomingofthehills。Ontheselattertherewerenotrees，norevenshrubsofanysize。Theimpressionswroughtontheobserverwerethoseofrichness，warmth，color，quietude，uniformity，softness，delicacy，daintiness，voluptuousness，andamiraculousextremenessofculturethatsuggesteddreamsofanewraceoffairies，laborious，tasteful，magnificent，andfastidious；butastheeyetracedupwardthemyriad-tintedslope，fromitssharpjunctionwiththewatertoitsvagueterminationamidthefoldsofoverhangingcloud，itbecame，indeed，difficultnottofancyapanoramiccataractofrubies，sapphires，opals，andgoldenonyxes，rollingsilentlyoutofthesky。
Thevisiter，shootingsuddenlyintothisbayfromoutthegloomoftheravine，isdelightedbutastoundedbythefullorbofthedecliningsun，whichhehadsupposedtobealreadyfarbelowthehorizon，butwhichnowconfrontshim，andformsthesoleterminationofanotherwiselimitlessvistaseenthroughanotherchasmlikeriftinthehills。
Butherethevoyagerquitsthevesselwhichhasbornehimsofar，anddescendsintoalightcanoeofivory，stainedwitharabesquedevicesinvividscarlet，bothwithinandwithout。Thepoopandbeakofthisboatarisehighabovethewater，withsharppoints，sothatthegeneralformisthatofanirregularcrescent。Itliesonthesurfaceofthebaywiththeproudgraceofaswan。Onitserminedfloorreposesasinglefeatherypaddleofsatin-wood；butnooarsmenorattendantistobeseen。Theguestisbiddentobeofgoodcheer
thatthefateswilltakecareofhim。Thelargervesseldisappears，andheisleftaloneinthecanoe，whichliesapparentlymotionlessinthemiddleofthelake。Whileheconsiderswhatcoursetopursue，however，hebecomesawareofagentlemovementinthefairybark。Itslowlyswingsitselfarounduntilitsprowpointstowardthesun。Itadvanceswithagentlebutgraduallyacceleratedvelocity，whiletheslightripplesitcreatesseemtobreakabouttheivorysideindivinestmelody-seemtooffertheonlypossibleexplanationofthesoothingyetmelancholymusicforwhoseunseenoriginthebewilderedvoyagerlooksaroundhiminvain。
Thecanoesteadilyproceeds，andtherockygateofthevistaisapproached，sothatitsdepthscanbemoredistinctlyseen。Totherightariseachainofloftyhillsrudelyandluxuriantlywooded。Itisobserved，however，thatthetraitofexquisitecleannesswherethebankdipsintothewater，stillprevails。Thereisnotonetokenoftheusualriverdebris。Totheleftthecharacterofthesceneissofterandmoreobviouslyartificial。Herethebankslopesupwardfromthestreaminaverygentleascent，formingabroadswardofgrassofatextureresemblingnothingsomuchasvelvet，andofabrilliancyofgreenwhichwouldbearcomparisonwiththetintofthepurestemerald。Thisplateauvariesinwidthfromtentothreehundredyards；reachingfromtheriver-banktoawall，fiftyfeethigh，whichextends，inaninfinityofcurves，butfollowingthegeneraldirectionoftheriver，untillostinthedistancetothewestward。Thiswallisofonecontinuousrock，andhasbeenformedbycuttingperpendicularlytheonceruggedprecipiceofthestream’ssouthernbank，butnotraceofthelaborhasbeensufferedtoremain。
Thechiselledstonehasthehueofages，andisprofuselyoverhungandoverspreadwiththeivy，thecoralhoneysuckle，theeglantine，andtheclematis。Theuniformityofthetopandbottomlinesofthewallisfullyrelievedbyoccasionaltreesofgiganticheight，growingsinglyorinsmallgroups，bothalongtheplateauandinthedomainbehindthewall，butincloseproximitytoit；sothatfrequentlimbsoftheblackwalnutespeciallyreachoveranddiptheirpendentextremitiesintothewater。Fartherbackwithinthedomain，thevisionisimpededbyanimpenetrablescreenoffoliage。
Thesethingsareobservedduringthecanoe’sgradualapproachtowhatIhavecalledthegateofthevista。Ondrawingnearertothis，however，itschasm-likeappearancevanishes；anewoutletfromthebayisdiscoveredtotheleftinwhichdirectionthewallisalsoseentosweep，stillfollowingthegeneralcourseofthestream。Downthisnewopeningtheeyecannotpenetrateveryfar；forthestream，accompaniedbythewall，stillbendstotheleft，untilbothareswallowedupbytheleaves。
Theboat，nevertheless，glidesmagicallyintothewindingchannel；
andheretheshoreoppositethewallisfoundtoresemblethatoppositethewallinthestraightvista。Loftyhills，risingoccasionallyintomountains，andcoveredwithvegetationinwildluxuriance，stillshutinthescene。
Floatinggentlyonward，butwithavelocityslightlyaugmented，thevoyager，aftermanyshortturns，findshisprogressapparentlybarredbyagiganticgateorratherdoorofburnishedgold，elaboratelycarvedandfretted，andreflectingthedirectraysofthenowfast-sinkingsunwithaneffulgencethatseemstowreaththewholesurroundingforestinflames。Thisgateisinsertedintheloftywall；whichhereappearstocrosstheriveratrightangles。Inafewmoments，however，itisseenthatthemainbodyofthewaterstillsweepsinagentleandextensivecurvetotheleft，thewallfollowingitasbefore，whileastreamofconsiderablevolume，divergingfromtheprincipalone，makesitsway，withaslightripple，underthedoor，andisthushiddenfromsight。Thecanoefallsintothelesserchannelandapproachesthegate。Itsponderouswingsareslowlyandmusicallyexpanded。Theboatglidesbetweenthem，andcommencesarapiddescentintoavastamphitheatreentirelybegirtwithpurplemountains，whosebasesarelavedbyagleamingriverthroughoutthefullextentoftheircircuit。MeantimethewholeParadiseofArnheimburstsupontheview。Thereisagushofentrancingmelody；thereisanoppressivesenseofstrangesweetodor，thereisadreamlikeinterminglingtotheeyeoftallslenderEasterntreesboskyshrubberiesflocksofgoldenandcrimsonbirdslily-fringedlakesmeadowsofviolets，tulips，poppies，hyacinths，andtuberoseslongintertangledlinesofsilverstreamletsand，upspringingconfusedlyfromamidall，amassofsemi-Gothic，semi-Saracenicarchitecturesustainingitselfbymiracleinmid-air，glitteringintheredsunlightwithahundredoriels，minarets，andpinnacles；andseemingthephantomhandiwork，conjointly，oftheSylphs，oftheFairies，oftheGeniiandoftheGnomes。
APendantto“TheDomainofArnheim“
DURINGApedestriantriplastsummer，throughoneortwooftherivercountiesofNewYork，Ifoundmyself，asthedaydeclined，somewhatembarrassedabouttheroadIwaspursuing。Thelandundulatedveryremarkably；andmypath，forthelasthour，hadwoundaboutandaboutsoconfusedly，initsefforttokeepinthevalleys，thatInolongerknewinwhatdirectionlaythesweetvillageofB-，whereIhaddeterminedtostopforthenight。Thesunhadscarcelyshone
strictlyspeakingduringtheday，whichnevertheless，hadbeenunpleasantlywarm。Asmokymist，resemblingthatoftheIndiansummer，envelopedallthings，andofcourse，addedtomyuncertainty。
NotthatIcaredmuchaboutthematter。IfIdidnothituponthevillagebeforesunset，orevenbeforedark，itwasmorethanpossiblethatalittleDutchfarmhouse，orsomethingofthatkind，wouldsoonmakeitsappearancealthough，infact，theneighborhoodperhapsonaccountofbeingmorepicturesquethanfertilewasverysparselyinhabited。Atallevents，withmyknapsackforapillow，andmyhoundasasentry，abivouacintheopenairwasjustthethingwhichwouldhaveamusedme。Isaunteredon，therefore，quiteateasePontotakingchargeofmygununtilatlength，justasIhadbeguntoconsiderwhetherthenumerouslittlegladesthatledhitherandthither，wereintendedtobepathsatall，Iwasconductedbyoneofthemintoanunquestionablecarriagetrack。Therecouldbenomistakingit。Thetracesoflightwheelswereevident；andalthoughthetallshrubberiesandovergrownundergrowthmetoverhead，therewasnoobstructionwhateverbelow，eventothepassageofaVirginianmountainwagonthemostaspiringvehicle，Itakeit，ofitskind。
Theroad，however，exceptinbeingopenthroughthewoodifwoodbenottooweightyanameforsuchanassemblageoflighttrees
andexceptintheparticularsofevidentwheel-tracksborenoresemblancetoanyroadIhadbeforeseen。ThetracksofwhichI
speakwerebutfaintlyperceptiblehavingbeenimpresseduponthefirm，yetpleasantlymoistsurfaceofwhatlookedmorelikegreenGenoesevelvetthananythingelse。Itwasgrass，clearlybutgrasssuchasweseldomseeoutofEnglandsoshort，sothick，soeven，andsovividincolor。Notasingleimpedimentlayinthewheel-routenotevenachipordeadtwig。Thestonesthatonceobstructedthewayhadbeencarefullyplacednotthrown-alongthesidesofthelane，soastodefineitsboundariesatbottomwithakindofhalf-precise，half-negligent，andwhollypicturesquedefinition。Clumpsofwildflowersgreweverywhere，luxuriantly，intheinterspaces。
Whattomakeofallthis，ofcourseIknewnot。Herewasartundoubtedlythatdidnotsurprisemeallroads，intheordinarysense，areworksofart；norcanIsaythattherewasmuchtowonderatinthemereexcessofartmanifested；allthatseemedtohavebeendone，mighthavebeendoneherewithsuchnatural“capabilities“
astheyhaveitinthebooksonLandscapeGardeningwithverylittlelaborandexpense。No；itwasnottheamountbutthecharacteroftheartwhichcausedmetotakeaseatononeoftheblossomystonesandgazeupanddownthisfairylikeavenueforhalfanhourormoreinbewilderedadmiration。OnethingbecamemoreandmoreevidentthelongerIgazed：anartist，andonewithamostscrupulouseyeforform，hadsuperintendedallthesearrangements。Thegreatestcarehadbeentakentopreserveaduemediumbetweentheneatandgracefulontheonehand，andthepittoresque，inthetruesenseoftheItalianterm，ontheother。Therewerefewstraight，andnolonguninterruptedlines。Thesameeffectofcurvatureorofcolorappearedtwice，usually，butnotoftener，atanyonepointofview。
Everywherewasvarietyinuniformity。Itwasapieceof“composition。”inwhichthemostfastidiouslycriticaltastecouldscarcelyhavesuggestedanemendation。
IhadturnedtotherightasIenteredthisroad，andnow，arising，I
continuedinthesamedirection。Thepathwassoserpentine，thatatnomomentcouldItraceitscourseformorethantwoorthreepacesinadvance。Itscharacterdidnotundergoanymaterialchange。
Presentlythemurmurofwaterfellgentlyuponmyearandinafewmomentsafterward，asIturnedwiththeroadsomewhatmoreabruptlythanhitherto，Ibecameawarethatabuildingofsomekindlayatthefootofagentledeclivityjustbeforeme。Icouldseenothingdistinctlyonaccountofthemistwhichoccupiedallthelittlevalleybelow。Agentlebreeze，however，nowarose，asthesunwasaboutdescending；andwhileIremainedstandingonthebrowoftheslope，thefoggraduallybecamedissipatedintowreaths，andsofloatedoverthescene。
AsitcamefullyintoviewthusgraduallyasIdescribeit
piecebypiece，hereatree，thereaglimpseofwater，andhereagainthesummitofachimney，Icouldscarcelyhelpfancyingthatthewholewasoneoftheingeniousillusionssometimesexhibitedunderthenameof“vanishingpictures。”
Bythetime，however，thatthefoghadthoroughlydisappeared，thesunhadmadeitswaydownbehindthegentlehills，andthence，asitwithaslightchasseztothesouth，hadcomeagainfullyintosight，glaringwithapurplishlustrethroughachasmthatenteredthevalleyfromthewest。Suddenly，thereforeandasifbythehandofmagicthiswholevalleyandeverythinginitbecamebrilliantlyvisible。
Thefirstcoupd’oeil，asthesunslidintothepositiondescribed，impressedmeverymuchasIhavebeenimpressed，whenaboy，bytheconcludingsceneofsomewell-arrangedtheatricalspectacleormelodrama。Noteventhemonstrosityofcolorwaswanting；forthesunlightcameoutthroughthechasm，tintedallorangeandpurple；