Account of the Cavern of "Pianino, 221 



it enlarges itself into a cavern of magnificent dimensions and 

 wonderful regularity of form. There are not many traces of 

 stalactitic ornament. The gigantic walls and vaulted roof stand 

 in their natural grandeur, unadorned and overpowering. No- 

 thing seems to support the enormous weight of mountain 

 above ; it rises from the earth gradually and regularly, bend- 

 ing itself into a majestic natural cupola. The effect is aided 

 by the circumstance, that, owing to the spaciousness of the 

 entrance, no part of the dome remains in darkness ; the eye 

 takes in the whole at once. 



Except during inundations, the river does not occupy the 

 whole of the floor of the cavern. The bottom is irregular, 

 sloping down from the one side to the other. The upper part 

 was now dry, in consequence of the long continuance of dry 

 weather, and consisted entirely of sand, a deposition from the 

 overflowings of the stream, which, when inundated, occupies 

 the whole width of the portal. The course of the river can- 

 not be followed far into the bowels of the mountain. At the 

 extremity of the cavern ii suddenly turns round to the left. 

 The cavern itself is no longer a vault, but a narrow passage ; 

 the roof sinks down ; light disappears ; and the sound of .the 

 water announces that it is flowing over an uneven and inter- 

 rupted channel. From the moment it enters the cavern its 

 course is slow and tranquil, and it pours itself without noise 

 into the deep sunk mountain basin, which, imbedded among 

 precipices, varies in depth from 12 to 25 feet. 



But its troubles are not yet past. Flowing from the basin 

 over the artificial embankment erected to raise its waters to 

 the necessary elevation for the mills, it continues its course 

 northwards through the valley. Scarcely, however, has it 

 reached the northern extremity, when the earth again gapes 

 for it, and swallows it up, not through a bold aperture like 

 that which it has quitted, but through numerous small in- 

 sidious rents and crevices. It is lost for nearly nine miles, 

 pursuing its course under ground. It finally bursts forth 

 again at Upper Laybach, where the hilly country sinks down 

 into the wide plain which surrounds Laybach itself; and in 

 the neighbourhood of the latter, it takes refuge from all its 



