instant came to the banks of what appeared a small river.  He dashed into the rapid stream, and instead of crossing ran up the opposite side in the shallow part, knowing that the dogs would thus be thrown off the scent.  He had not advanced far before they arrived at the brink he had left, and by their increased yelling, showed that they were at fault.  He sustained many a severe and dangerous fall amongst the slippery stones in the river; but hope had sprung up in his heart, and it was not without a fervent prayer that he heard the shouts and yells of his pursuers wax fainter and fainter.  In about half an hour he reached a small lake or tarn, as it is called in the north, which appeared to be the source of the stream.  Here he had breathing time; but he was chilled with wet, and altogether in a dismal condition.  He more than once thought he heard the voices of men and dogs in the blast; but their search was in vain, for about daybreak he reached a place of safety more dead than alive.

Here the loud snoring of Lieutenant ——­, put an end to the narration.

VYVYAN.

* * * * *

STUPENDOUS BRIDGE IN SPAIN.

[Illustration]

Bridges are amongst the noblest, if not the most ancient, triumphs of human art.  Many of the specimens of former ages are admired for their massive solidity, as well as for the beauty of their architectural decoration.  The present bridge, a fabric of the last century, has neither of these attractions, though it is constructed upon the best principle of modern bridge-building—­that of having one single arch.  Peronnet and De Chezi, two celebrated engineers, who are regarded as the founders of a new school of bridge architecture in France, made it their study to render the piers as light, and the arches as extended and lofty as possible; and the above bridge is a handsome structure of this class.  It has been objected that the modern French bridges have not that character of strength and solidity which the ancient bridges possessed, and that in the latter, the eye is generally less astonished, but the mind more satisfied, than in the former.  To these objections the Spanish bridge is by no means liable, as we shall proceed to show from its details.

The present bridge extends across the river, Guadiaro, in the South of Spain, and connects the romantic city of Ronda with its suburbs.  The situation of the city, encircled by Guadiaro, is described by Mr. Jacob,[5] as follows:—­

“It is placed on a rock, with cliffs, either perpendicular and abrupt towards the river, or with broken craggs, whose jutting prominences, having a little soil, have been planted with orange and fig trees.  A fissure in this rock, of great depth, surrounds the city on three sides, and at the bottom of the fissure the river rushes along with impetuous rapidity.  Two bridges are constructed over the