The farther shore was flat and sandy and stretched away to the horizon.

Above the water were scattered clumps of palm-trees.
On my side, eaten into a curve by the river, were lofty, crumbling cliffs.

Farther along the curve, in plain view from my eyrie, carved out of the living rock, were four colossal figures.

It was the stature of a man to their ankle joints.

The four colossi sat, with hands resting on knees, with arms crumbled quite away, and gazed out upon the river.