92 A Visit to Ingleton. [Sess. 



wood, and we followed the guide in single file down a long and 

 tolerably wide passage. A small stream runs through the 

 cave, and in some parts there are pools some 4 or 5 feet deep, 

 across which planks are laid. In another part of the passage 

 the ground is rocky and uneven, and the path very narrow and 

 slippery. Here an iron rail is fixed to the wall, without 

 which there would be much risk of falling. In another part 

 we had a laughable adventure. The flat roof of rock is so low 

 that it is necessary to proceed in a crouching attitude, and it 

 slopes down to the right until it is not more than 2 feet from 

 the rocky floor. One of our party got nervous and confused, 

 and when we called out, " Keep to the left ! " she kept moving 

 farther and farther to the right, and presently got wedged in 

 for a time ; and when we at last succeeded in making her 

 understand that she was going in the wrong direction, she 

 laughed so immoderately that she was wellnigh helpless to 

 extricate herself. On our return journey this passage was 

 much easier, as the rocky roof sloped upwards towards the 

 entrance, and we came gaily through at a run in a doubled -up 

 attitude. 



The stalactites are wonderful in this cave, many of them 

 simulating the form of various articles, such as a beehive, a 

 jockey's cap, a large ornamental chandelier, a flitch of bacon, a 

 French bed with canopy, a large white pillow, an immense 

 bride's- cake covered with glittering icing, &c. ; and some grace- 

 ful stalactites hung like the folds of a tablecloth. These, 

 when gently struck with the guide's stick, gave out sounds 

 like soft church bells. Unfortunately, some of these had 

 been broken by tourists, so that many of the notes were spoilt. 

 One little stalactite is called " The rasher of bacon ", from its 

 shape ; and when a candle is held behind it the streaky appear- 

 ance of " fat and lean " is very exact. 



There are also many stalagmites, formed by the dropping of 

 water from the roof. Some of these were curiously shaped 

 like Indian idols. In some places the stalactites and stalag- 

 mites meet, and form slender pillars between the roof and floor 

 of the cave. Our guide was very amusing and talkative about 

 the " mites " and " tites ", as he termed the stalagmites and 

 stalactites. He told us that the late Mr Farrer explored one 

 of the holes, at the extreme end of the cave ; as water was 



