, or
most northern of these indentures might have been taken for the intentional,
although rude, representation of a human figure standing erect, with
out-stretched arm. The rest of them bore also some little resemblance to
alphabetical characters, and Peters was willing, at all events, to adopt the
idle opinion that they were really such. I convinced him of his error, finally,
by directing his attention to the floor of the fissure, where, among the powder,
we picked up, piece by piece, several large flakes of the marl, which had
evidently been broken off by some convulsion from the surface where the
indentures were found, and which had projecting points exactly fitting the
indentures; thus proving them to have been the work of nature. Fig. 4 presents
an accurate copy of the whole.
 
                                     Fig. 4
 
After satisfying ourselves that these singular caverns afforded us no means of
escape from our prison, we made our way back, dejected and dispirited, to the
summit of the hill. Nothing worth mentioning occurred during the next
twenty-four hours, except that, in examining the ground to the eastward of the
third chasm, we found two triangular holes of great depth, and also with black
granite sides. Into these holes we did not think it worth while to attempt
descending, as they had the appearance of mere natural wells, without outlet.
They were each about twenty yards in circumference, and their shape, as well as
relative position in regard to the third chasm, is shown in figure 5, page 872.
 

                                  Chapter XXIV

On the twentieth of the month, finding it altogether impossible to subsist any
longer upon the filberts, the use of which occasioned us the most excruciating
torment, we resolved to make a desperate attempt at descending the southern
declivity of the hill. The face of the precipice was here of the softest species
of soapstone, although nearly perpendicular throughout its whole extent (a depth
of a hundred and fifty feet at the least), and in many places even overarching.
After a long search we discovered a narrow ledge about twenty feet below the
brink of the gulf; upon this Peters contrived to leap, with what assistance I
could render him by means of our pocket-handkerchiefs tied together. With
somewhat more difficulty I also got down; and we then saw the possibility of
descending the whole way by the process in which we had clambered up from the
chasm when we had been buried by the fall of the hill - that is, by cutting
steps in the face of the soapstone with our knives. The extreme hazard of the
attempt can scarcely be conceived
