122 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 



larger than the rest is called "Lot's Wife."' This passage 

 leads into the " Kingston Gallery," a straight and narrow 

 chamber or gallery sixty yards long. The roof and walls, 

 throughout its entire length, are clothed with spar, which I 

 remarked here assumes a variety of colours, sometimes bright 

 red, sometimes barley-sugar-coloured. The beautiful roof 

 possesses more architectural symmetry than that of any of the 

 other chambers, and the pendant festoons of spar, resembling 

 wreaths of flowers and flowing drapery, are most gorgeous. 

 At two thirds of its length this gallery was originally com- 

 pletely divided by a transparent curtain of spar, but through 

 the centre of this an aperture has been made, and the entire 

 chamber has been thus rendered visible at one view, partially 

 interrupted however by six stalactitic pillars. The "King- 

 ston Gallery " leads into a chamber which is nearly square, 

 and without much ornamental spar; and beyond this is ano- 

 ther passage or gallery, which runs for more than a hundred 

 yards in a continuous line with the " Kingston Gallery," and 

 of which the termination has not yet been found, so that it is 

 compulsory to return to the square chamber, from which is a 

 passage parallel with the " Kingston Gallery," and of some- 

 what similar width and precisely similar length. The bot- 

 tom of this passage is strewed with sand, and it is conse- 

 quently called the " Sand Cave; " it contains little or nothing 

 to attract admiration after the eyes have been feasting on the 

 gorgeous beauties of the " Kingston Gallery." 



The two galleries open side by side, and within a few yards 

 of "Lot's Wife" already noticed, and immediately adjacent 

 to another chamber called the "Garret Cave," which appeared 

 to me more extensive than either of the others. I fancy it is 

 considerably more than a hundred yards in length, and it va- 

 ries greatly in breadth. The floor is composed of stalagmitic 

 masses and incrustations, and blocks of limestone rudely 

 tossed together, the travelling over which is not very 

 convenient ; it rises towards the farther extremity, thus 

 reducing the height in that part. The walls are mostly 

 sheeted with spar, and the stalactites, like glittering icicles, 

 and often of very small size, hang by thousands from the roof; 

 some however are of noble size, and having united with the 

 stalagmite, form graceful pillars seemingly created pui-posely 

 for the support of the roof. 



I This has been described as stalactitic, but I must allow my original 

 note to stand, as it was made on the spot; and though I will not lay claim 

 to infallibility, especially in a science in which I am a confessed ignora- 

 mus, yet nay impression was and is, that it was the deposition from drop- 

 ping, not from trickling ; that it had grown upwards, not downwards. 



