He carefully avoided touching them, for they seemed as brittle as glass, and merely a white powder having no consistency at all.

As he advanced these remnants of buildings increased in number, so that he had to wind in and out round them.

In some places the crystallized wall had fallen of itself, and he could see down into the cavern; for the house had either been built partly underground, or, which was more probable, the ground had risen.

Whether the walls had been of bricks or stone or other material he could not tell; they were now like salt.
Soon wearying of winding round these walls, Felix returned and retraced his steps till he was outside the place, and then went on towards the left.

Not long after, as he still walked in a dream and without feeling his feet, he descended a slight slope and found the ground change in colour from black to a dull red.