Wecouldnotseethroughthewholeextentofthisopening；but，asagooddealoflightcamedownit，wehadlittledoubtoffindingatthetopofitifwecouldbyanymeansreachthetopaclearpassageintotheopenair。
Inowcalledtomindthatthreeofushadenteredthefissurefromthemaingorge，andthatourcompanion，Allen，wasstillmissing；wedeterminedatoncetoretraceourstepsandlookforhim。
Afteralongsearch，andmuchdangerfromthefarthercavinginoftheearthaboveus，Petersatlengthcriedouttomethathehadholdofourcompanion’sfoot，andthathiswholebodywasdeeplyburiedbeneaththerubbishbeyondthepossibilityofextricatinghim。Isoonfoundthatwhathesaidwastootrue，andthat，ofcourse，lifehadbeenlongextinct。Withsorrowfulhearts，therefore，weleftthecorpsetoitsfate，andagainmadeourwaytothebend。
Thebreadthoftheseamwasbarelysufficienttoadmitus，and，afteroneortwoineffectualeffortsatgettingup，webeganoncemoretodespair。Ihavebeforesaidthatthechainofhillsthroughwhichranthemaingorgewascomposedofaspeciesofsoftrockresemblingsoap。stone。Thesidesofthecleftwewerenowattemptingtoascendwereofthesamematerial，andsoexcessivelyslippery，beingwet，thatwecouldgetbutlittlefootholduponthemevenintheirleastprecipitousparts；insomeplaces，wheretheascentwasnearlyperpendicular，thedifficultywas，ofcourse，muchaggravated；
and，indeed，forsometimewethoughtinsurmountable。Wetookcourage，however，fromdespair，andwhat，bydintofcuttingstepsinthesoftstonewithourbowieknives，andswingingattheriskofourlives，tosmallprojectingpointsofaharderspeciesofslatyrockwhichnowandthenprotrudedfromthegeneralmass，weatlengthreachedanaturalplatform，fromwhichwasperceptibleapatchofbluesky，attheextremityofathickly-woodedravine。Lookingbacknow，withsomewhatmoreleisure，atthepassagethroughwhichwehadthusfarproceeded，weclearlysawfromtheappearanceofitssides，thatitwasoflateformation，andweconcludedthattheconcussion，whateveritwas，whichhadsounexpectedlyoverwhelmedus，hadalso，atthesamemoment，laidopenthispathforescape。Beingquiteexhaustedwithexertion，andindeed，soweakthatwewerescarcelyabletostandorarticulate，Petersnowproposedthatweshouldendeavourtobringourcompanionstotherescuebyfiringthepistolswhichstillremainedinourgirdles-themusketsaswellascutlasseshadbeenlostamongthelooseearthatthebottomofthechasm。
Subsequenteventsprovedthat，hadwefired，weshouldhavesorelyrepentedit，butluckilyahalfsuspicionoffoulplayhadbythistimeariseninmymind，andweforboretoletthesavagesknowofourwhereabouts。
Afterhavingreposedforaboutanhour，wepushedonslowlyuptheravine，andhadgonenogreatwaybeforeweheardasuccessionoftremendousyells。Atlengthwereachedwhatmightbecalledthesurfaceoftheground；forourpathhitherto，sinceleavingtheplatform，hadlainbeneathanarchwayofhighrockandfoliage，atavastdistanceoverhead。Withgreatcautionwestoletoanarrowopening，throughwhichwehadaclearsightofthesurroundingcountry，whenthewholedreadfulsecretoftheconcussionbrokeuponusinonemomentandatoneview。
Thespotfromwhichwelookedwasnotfarfromthesummitofthehighestpeakintherangeofthesoapstonehills。Thegorgeinwhichourpartyofthirty-twohadenteredranwithinfiftyfeettotheleftofus。But，foratleastonehundredyards，thechannelorbedofthisgorgewasentirelyfilledupwiththechaoticruinsofmorethanamilliontonsofearthandstonethathadbeenartificiallytumbledwithinit。Themeansbywhichthevastmasshadbeenprecipitatedwerenotmoresimplethanevident，forsuretracesofthemurderousworkwereyetremaining。Inseveralspotsalongthetopoftheeasternsideofthegorgewewerenowonthewesternmightbeseenstakesofwooddrivenintotheearth。Inthesespotstheearthhadnotgivenway，butthroughoutthewholeextentofthefaceoftheprecipicefromwhichthemasshadfallen，itwasclear，frommarksleftinthesoilresemblingthosemadebythedrilloftherockblaster，thatstakessimilartothosewesawstandinghadbeeninserted，atnotmorethanayardapart，forthelengthofperhapsthreehundredfeet，andrangingatabouttenfeetbackfromtheedgeofthegulf。Strongcordsofgrapevinewereattachedtothestakesstillremainingonthehill，anditwasevidentthatsuchcordshadalsobeenattachedtoeachoftheotherstakes。Ihavealreadyspokenofthesingularstratificationofthesesoapstonehills；andthedescriptionjustgivenofthenarrowanddeepfissurethroughwhichweeffectedourescapefrominhumationwillaffordafurtherconceptionofitsnature。Thiswassuchthatalmosteverynaturalconvulsionwouldbesuretosplitthesoilintoperpendicularlayersorridgesrunningparallelwithoneanother，andaverymoderateexertionofartwouldbesufficientforeffectingthesamepurpose。
Ofthisstratificationthesavageshadavailedthemselvestoaccomplishtheirtreacherousends。Therecanbenodoubtthat，bythecontinuouslineofstakes，apartialruptureofthesoilhadbeenbroughtaboutprobablytothedepthofoneortwofeet，whenbymeansofasavagepullingattheendofeachofthecordsthesecordsbeingattachedtothetopsofthestakes，andextendingbackfromtheedgeofthecliff，avastleveragepowerwasobtained，capableofhurlingthewholefaceofthehill，uponagivensignal，intothebosomoftheabyssbelow。Thefateofourpoorcompanionswasnolongeramatterofuncertainty。Wealonehadescapedfromthetempestofthatoverwhelmingdestruction。Weweretheonlylivingwhitemenupontheisland。
OURsituation，asitnowappeared，wasscarcelylessdreadfulthanwhenwehadconceivedourselvesentombedforever。Wesawbeforeusnoprospectbutthatofbeingputtodeathbythesavages，orofdraggingoutamiserableexistenceincaptivityamongthem。Wemight，tobesure，concealourselvesforatimefromtheirobservationamongthefastnessesofthehills，and，asafinalresort，inthechasmfromwhichwehadjustissued；butwemusteitherperishinthelongpolarwinterthroughcoldandfamine，orbeultimatelydiscoveredinoureffortstoobtainrelief。
Thewholecountryaroundusseemedtobeswarmingwithsavages，crowdsofwhom，wenowperceived，hadcomeoverfromtheislandstothesouthwardonflatrafts，doubtlesswithaviewoflendingtheiraidinthecaptureandplunderoftheJane。Thevesselstilllaycalmlyatanchorinthebay，thoseonboardbeingapparentlyquiteunconsciousofanydangerawaitingthem。Howwelongedatthatmomenttobewiththem！eithertoaidineffectingtheirescape，ortoperishwiththeminattemptingadefence。Wesawnochanceevenofwarningthemoftheirdangerwithoutbringingimmediatedestructionuponourownheads，withbutaremotehopeofbenefittothem。A
pistolfiredmightsufficetoapprisethemthatsomethingwronghadoccurred；butthereportcouldnotpossiblyinformthemthattheironlyprospectofsafetylayingettingoutoftheharbourforthwith-
nortellthemnoprinciplesofhonournowboundthemtoremain，thattheircompanionswerenolongeramongtheliving。Uponhearingthedischargetheycouldnotbemorethoroughlypreparedtomeetthefoe，whowerenowgettingreadytoattack，thantheyalreadywere，andalwayshadbeen。Nogood，therefore，andinfiniteharm，wouldresultfromourfiring，andaftermaturedeliberation，weforbore。
Ournextthoughtwastoattempttorushtowardthevessel，toseizeoneofthefourcanoeswhichlayattheheadofthebay，andendeavourtoforceapassageonboard。Buttheutterimpossibilityofsucceedinginthisdesperatetasksoonbecameevident。Thecountry，asIsaidbefore，wasliterallyswarmingwiththenatives，skulkingamongthebushesandrecessesofthehills，soasnottobeobservedfromtheschooner。Inourimmediatevicinityespecially，andblockadingthesolepathbywhichwecouldhopetoattaintheshoreattheproperpointwerestationedthewholepartyoftheblackskinwarriors，withToo-witattheirhead，andapparentlyonlywaitingforsomere-enforcementtocommencehisonsetupontheJane。Thecanoes，too，whichlayattheheadofthebay，weremannedwithsavages，unarmed，itistrue，butwhoundoubtedlyhadarmswithinreach。Wewereforced，therefore，howeverunwillingly，toremaininourplaceofconcealment，merespectatorsoftheconflictwhichpresentlyensued。
Inabouthalfanhourwesawsomesixtyorseventyrafts，orflatboats，withoutriggers，filledwithsavages，andcomingroundthesouthernbightoftheharbor。Theyappearedtohavenoarmsexceptshortclubs，andstoneswhichlayinthebottomoftherafts。
Immediatelyafterwardanotherdetachment，stilllarger，appearedinanoppositedirection，andwithsimilarweapons。Thefourcanoes，too，werenowquicklyfilledwithnatives，startingupfromthebushesattheheadofthebay，andputoffswiftlytojointheotherparties。Thus，inlesstimethanIhavetakentotellit，andasifbymagic，theJanesawherselfsurroundedbyanimmensemultitudeofdesperadoesevidentlybentuponcapturingheratallhazards。
Thattheywouldsucceedinsodoingcouldnotbedoubtedforaninstant。Thesixmenleftinthevessel，howeverresolutelytheymightengageinherdefence，werealtogetherunequaltothepropermanagementoftheguns，orinanymannertosustainacontestatsuchodds。Icouldhardlyimaginethattheywouldmakeresistanceatall，butinthiswasdeceived；forpresentlyIsawthemgetspringsuponthecable，andbringthevessel’sstarboardbroadsidetobearuponthecanoes，whichbythistimewerewithinpistolrange，theraftsbeingnearlyaquarterofamiletowindward。Owingtosomecauseunknown，butmostprobablytotheagitationofourpoorfriendsatseeingthemselvesinsohopelessasituation，thedischargewasanentirefailure。Notacanoewashitorasinglesavageinjured，theshotsstrikingshortandricochetingovertheirheads。Theonlyeffectproduceduponthemwasastonishmentattheunexpectedreportandsmoke，whichwassoexcessivethatforsomemomentsIalmostthoughttheywouldabandontheirdesignentirely，andreturntotheshore。Andthistheywouldmostlikelyhavedonehadourmenfolloweduptheirbroadsidebyadischargeofsmallarms，inwhich，asthecanoeswerenowsonearathand，theycouldnothavefailedindoingsomeexecution，sufficient，atleast，todeterthispartyfromafartheradvance，untiltheycouldhavegiventheraftsalsoabroadside。But，inplaceofthis，theyleftthecanoepartytorecoverfromtheirpanic，and，bylookingaboutthem，toseethatnoinjuryhadbeensustained，whiletheyflewtothelarboardtogetreadyfortherafts。
Thedischargetolarboardproducedthemostterribleeffect。Thestaranddouble-headedshotofthelargegunscutsevenoreightoftheraftscompletelyasunder，andkilled，perhaps，thirtyorfortyofthesavagesoutright，whileahundredofthem，atleast，werethrownintothewater，themostofthemdreadfullywounded。Theremainder，frightenedoutoftheirsenses，commencedatonceaprecipitateretreat，notevenwaitingtopickuptheirmaimedcompanions，whowereswimmingaboutineverydirection，screamingandyellingforaid。Thisgreatsuccess，however，cametoolateforthesalvationofourdevotedpeople。Thecanoepartywerealreadyonboardtheschoonertothenumberofmorethanahundredandfifty，themostofthemhavingsucceededinscramblingupthechainsandovertheboarding-nettingevenbeforethematcheshadbeenappliedtothelarboardguns。Nothingnowcouldwithstandtheirbruterage。Ourmenwerebornedownatonce，overwhelmed，troddenunderfoot，andabsolutelytorntopiecesinaninstant。
Seeingthis，thesavagesontheraftsgotthebetteroftheirfears，andcameupinshoalstotheplunder。InfiveminutestheJanewasapitiablesceneindeedofhavocandtumultuousoutrage。Thedecksweresplitopenandrippedup；thecordage，sails，andeverythingmovableondeckdemolishedasifbymagic，while，bydintofpushingatthestern，towingwiththecanoes，andhaulingatthesides，astheyswaminthousandsaroundthevessel，thewretchesfinallyforcedheronshorethecablehavingbeenslipped，anddeliveredherovertothegoodofficesofToo-wit，who，duringthewholeoftheengagement，hadmaintained，likeaskilfulgeneral，hispostofsecurityandreconnaissanceamongthehills，but，nowthatthevictorywascompletedtohissatisfaction，condescendedtoscamperdownwithhiswarriorsoftheblackskin，andbecomeapartakerinthespoils。