; i ' " Cave of Boohan. 



sage on the right. The roof formed a perfect natural arch, 

 one side more perpendicular than the other, and the whole 

 was encrusted with stalactites. We proceeded on in a west 

 and north-west direction : sometimes the passage was narrow 

 and the roof low, then swelled into superb chambers, the roof 

 forty feet high. In some places we walked along perfectly 

 smooth rock, in others over soft mud, and in others again, 

 climbed over broken but huge fragments of rock. Here and 

 there we came upon water in rocky basins, and in many parts 

 the rock was honey-combed by the action of the dropping wa- 

 ter. The variety and beauty of the shapes into which the sta- 

 lactite has formed itself exceed description. In one place was 

 a remarkable specimen like a pine tree, about twelve feet high, 

 by one foot and a-half thick, except here and there ; however, 

 it did not sparkle to the light, as I had expected, being cover- 

 ed with brown dirty coating, though in particular spots it was 

 very beautiful. After wandering through numerous narrow 

 passages and various splendid halls, sometimes descending fifty 

 feet, and sometimes ascending to a greater height, we were at 

 last stopped by a deep basin of water. Here, as it was get- 

 ting late, we turned, and following another passage, found 

 ourselves in our former track again. We had tied a string to 

 the rock at the cave's mouth, and let it run off a reel as we 

 advanced, and three balls had already been expended. Tb?re 

 we joined the two strings, and some of us remained, while 

 others, retracing their steps to meet some of the people with 

 oil-pots, who could not descend a precipice, rejoined us again 

 at the same spot. Numerous passages were left to the right 

 and left, and several singular fissures were apparent in the 

 rock at different elevations. The mountain appears to be per- 

 forated in all directions, like a honey-comb. In one place 

 daylight is visible through the roof at a great height. We 

 now retraced our steps to the mouth of the cave, which we 

 reached at three o'clock. The thermometer outside the cave 

 stood at 68°, in the shade of the trees with which the entrance 

 is surrounded ; inside it rose to 74°. The air, however, was 

 not close or disagreeable ; indeed a free circulation evidently 

 takes place. I was, on the whole, much pleased and gratified 

 by the excursion. The cave is certainly a wonderful natural 



NEW SERIES. VOL. II. NO. II. APRIL 1830. S 



