Underground Rivers - University of New Mexico

Chapter 16 -- Underground Rivers in English Fiction
Tolkien's setting does contain underground rivers, however.
The saga features gloomy caverns and ultimately,
Mengroth, the underground palace. Gollum, as drawn to
the right by Nicholas Bayrachny, lives in a cave near a
subterranean river. The river in Silmarillion dips
underground and flows out of a cliff miles away. The
source of the River Running is under the Lonely Mountain,
the waters pouring out of an opening in the rock wall just
inside the Front Gate.
C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)
River Shribble, marking the boundary
between Narnia and the lands of the giants
The Silver Chair (1953). Narnia is in peril and only Eustace and Jill can help. Along with gloomy
Marsh-wiggle Puddleglum, they are sent by the mighty lion Aslan to find Prince Rilian, heir to the
throne. Their quest leads them deep into the dark underground.
In this way they came to the edge of the chasm. It was about a thousand feet long and
perhaps two hundred wide. They dismounted from their horses and came to the edge, and
looked down into it. A strong heat smote up into their faces, mixed with a smell which was quite
unlike any they had ever smelled. It was rich, sharp, exciting, and made you sneeze. The
depth of the chasm was so bright that at first it dazzled their eyes and they could see nothing.
When they got used to it they thought they could make out a river of fire, and, on the banks of
that river, what seemed to be fields and groves of an unbearable, hot brilliance-though they
were dim compared with the river.
Of another underground river, less Pyriphlegethon,
Low tide was running up the valley like a mill-race, and if it had come to swimming, the horses
could hardly have won over. But it was still only a foot or two deep, and though it swished
terribly round the horses' legs, they reached the far side in safety.
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