“Soon he had passed, like a shadow into shadow, down the winding road, and behind him still the black ranks crossed the bridge. So great an army had never issued from that vale since the days of Isildur’s might; no host so fell and strong in arms had yet assailed the fords of Anduin; and yet it was but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth.”

“…between which were great crevices and fissures blacker than the night, where forgotten winters had gnawed and carved the sunless stone.” — LOTR

“…every day, indeed, every hour, you come into new country, of a different nature, with different conditions of atmosphere and soil, with hills of a different build and color, so that you are amazed at what you see and long for what you will see next. All the time something new comes along, which ravishes you with wonder, either the marvelous structure of the mountains, or the color of the ground, the variety of the rocks and pebbles…all of which delight the curios” — Friar Felix (1483/1484)

(1) Pilgrim to the Holy Mount by H.F.M. Prescott (Horizon)