BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 27 



hawks still darted hurriedly about in pursuit of insects. Occasion- 

 ally, a Heron rose from its resting-place and flapped silently away, 

 while the air was filled with the notes of birds and the hum of insects. 

 As the day advanced, the chatter of the birds gradually ceased, and 

 a perfect silence replaced the tumult of the morning, broken only 

 by the occasional rattling of our horses' hoofs among the loose stones 

 of the pathway, — it could hardly be called a road, although at one 

 time it must have been a fine driveway. On either side were the 

 remains of heavy stone walls, occasionally broken by huge pillars, 

 which marked the entrance to some grand old mansion, represented 

 by an over-grown ruin, its once beautiful grounds now thickly 

 covered by an almost impenetrable growth of semi-tropical vegeta- 

 tion. As the sun rose higher and higher, the heat became intense, 

 and our discomfort was greatly increased by the myriads of mos- 

 quitoes and other small insects which attacked us incessantly. The 

 horses suffered badly from them, the poor creatures fidgeting and 

 turning their heads in a supjalicating way, as if to ask us to relieve 

 them of their tormentors. 



After travelling for several hours over an exceedingly bad road, 

 which grew worse and worse as we advanced, we at last arrived at 

 an opening in the side of a small hill, which the guide declared to be 

 the mouth of the cave. Here we dismounted, and leaving our man 

 to attend to the tired horses, we lighted our torches and, followed 

 by Sam bearing the ropes and extra lights, entered the opening and 

 found ourselves in a large gallerv, extendinsf, with a sfradual curve 

 to the left, as far as we could see. A few yards from the entrance, a 



