Mineralogy of East Tennessee. 63 
its walls, floor, and covering, and in the calcareous incrusta- 
tions and concretions, which, assuming a thousand fantastic 
shapes, and displaying a sparkling lustre, the more vivid as the 
light is stronger, give to this whole grotto the power of charm- 
ing every beholder. 
The cave is a mile and a half in extent, and extremely irre- 
gular in its course and shape. Its perpendicular height varies 
from three to forty feet, and its breadth from two to thirty. Its 
dividing branches are numerous, forming a great variety of 
apartments. The blue limestone appears frequently enough 
to satisfy us that it is the groundwork of the whole; but it is 
almost every where covered with incrustations of the hard 
carbonates. ‘These hang from the arched vault above in clus- 
ters, and often reach the ground, forming massive columns. 
Stalagmites again rise from the floor like so many statues: the 
irregular sides of the ledges of rocks are often incrusted over 
with white crystals of the carbonate of lime, and have the ap- 
pearance of banks of salt: at times we seem to walk on dia- 
mond pavements; again our foot-way is of rounded pebbles, 
and seems the bed of a river which had deserted its channel. 
Often we pass small streams of water; and the water is con- 
tinually dripping from the ends of the stalactites, the echoing 
sound of which, when it drops, forms the only interruption te 
the profound silence which reigns throughout the cavern. 
To give an idea of the diversified shapes which these con- 
cretions assume in the progress of their formation, (and they 
are constantly forming,) would be impossible. Suffice it to 
say, that there is scarcely any thing on earth to which they 
may not be supposed to form a resemblance; and yet, in fact, 
they are unlike any thing but themselves. | 
It is generally known that the earth in these caves contains 
the nitrates of lime, and potash, and other salts. The nume- 
Tous caves which have been found in the Cumberland moun- 
‘ains and other parts of Tennessee, have been very productive 
of the nitrate of potash. In the investigation of the causes 
which have given origin to these salts, it may be recollected, 
that wild animals burrow in these caves; that when pursued 
by the hunter, they make them the places of their retreat, and 
Vou. L..No. 1. , 9 | 
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