when I asked the guide how far we were from Viveiro.  “I do not know exactly where we are, your worship,” he replied, “though I believe we are in the route.  We can scarcely, however, be less than two mad leagues from Viveiro.”  “Then we shall not arrive there before morning,” interrupted Antonio, “for a mad league of Galicia means at least two of Castile; and perhaps we are doomed never to arrive there, if the way thither leads down this precipice.”  As he spoke, the guide seemed to descend into the bowels of the earth.  “Stop,” said I, “where are you going?” “To Viveiro, Senhor,” replied the fellow; “this is the way to Viveiro, there is no other; I now know where we are.”  The light of the lantern shone upon the dark red features of the guide, who had turned round to reply, as he stood some yards down the side of a dingle or ravine overgrown with thick trees, beneath whose leafy branches a frightfully steep path descended.  I dismounted from the pony, and delivering the bridle to the other guide, said, “Here is your master’s horse, if you please you may load him down that abyss, but as for myself I wash my hands of the matter.”  The fellow, without a word of reply, vaulted into the saddle, and with a vamos, Perico! to the pony, impelled the creature to the descent.  “Come, Senhor,” said he with the lantern, “there is no time to be lost, my light will be presently extinguished, and this is the worst bit in the whole road.”  I thought it very probable that he was about to lead us to some den of cut-throats, where we might be sacrificed; but taking courage, I seized our own horse by the bridle, and followed the fellow down the ravine amidst rocks and brambles.  The descent lasted nearly ten minutes, and ere we had entirely accomplished it, the light in the lantern went out, and we remained in nearly total darkness.

Encouraged, however, by the guide, who assured us there was no danger, we at length reached the bottom of the ravine; here we encountered a rill of water, through which we were compelled to wade as high as the knee.  In the midst of the water I looked up and caught a glimpse of the heavens through the branches of the trees, which all around clothed the shelving sides of the ravine and completely embowered the channel of the stream:  to a place more strange and replete with gloom and horror no benighted traveller ever found his way.  After a short pause we commenced scaling the opposite bank, which we did not find so steep as the other, and a few minutes’ exertion brought us to the top.

Shortly afterwards the rain abated, and the moon arising cast a dim light through the watery mists; the way had become less precipitous, and in about two hours we descended to the shore of an extensive creek, along which we proceeded till we reached a spot where many boats and barges lay with their keels upward upon the sand.  Presently we beheld before us the walls of Viveiro, upon which the moon was shedding its sickly lustre.  We entered by a lofty and seemingly ruinous archway, and the guide conducted us at once to the posada.