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Erewhonian statues (for Erewhon is the name of the country upon which I
was now entering). They rose most vividly to my recollection the moment
my friend began. They are as follows, and are by the greatest of all
musicians:--{2}

[Music score which cannot be reproduced]




CHAPTER VI: INTO EREWHON


And now I found myself on a narrow path which followed a small
watercourse. I was too glad to have an easy track for my flight, to lay
hold of the full significance of its existence. The thought, however,
soon presented itself to me that I must be in an inhabited country, but
one which was yet unknown. What, then, was to be my fate at the hands of
its inhabitants? Should I be taken and offered up as a burnt-offering to
those hideous guardians of the pass? It might be so. I shuddered at the
thought, yet the horrors of solitude had now fairly possessed me; and so
dazed was I, and chilled, and woebegone, that I could lay hold of no idea
firmly amid the crowd of fancies that kept wandering in upon my brain.

I hurried onward--down, down, down. More streams came in; then there was
a bridge, a few pine logs thrown over the water; but they gave me
comfort, for savages do not make bridges. Then I had a treat such as I
can never convey on paper--a moment, perhaps, the most striking and
unexpected in my whole life--the one I think that, with some three or
four exceptions, I would most gladly have again, were I able to recall
it. I got below the level of the clouds, into a burst of brilliant
evening sunshine, I was facing the north-west, and the sun was full upon
me. Oh, how its light cheered me! But what I saw! It was such an
expanse as was revealed to Moses when he stood upon the summit of Mount
Sinai, and beheld that promised land which it was not to be his to enter.
The beautiful sunset sky was crimson and gold; blue, silver, and purple;
exquisite and tranquillising; fading away therein were plains, on which I
could see many a town and city, with buildings that had lofty steeples
and rounded domes. Nearer beneath me lay ridge behind ridge, outline
behind outline, sunlight behind shadow, and shadow behind sunlight, gully
and serrated ravine. I saw large pine forests, and the glitter of a
noble river winding its way upon the plains; also many villages and
hamlets, some of them quite near at hand; and it was on these that I
pondered most. I sank upon the ground at the foot of a large tree and
thought what I had best do; but I could not collect myself. I was quite
tired out; and presently, feeling warmed by the sun, and quieted, I fell
off into a profound sleep.

I was awoke by the sound of tinkling bells, and looking up, I saw four or
five goats feeding near me. As soon as I moved, the creatures turned
their heads towards me with an expression of infinite wonder. They did
not run away, but stood stock still, and looked at me from every side, as
I at them.

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