336 Notice of Sketches of Naval Life. 
crystals, and in many parts, it has formed itself _ are seen 
nodules, and other grotesque forms. Some of them our officers 
I had anticipated It is difficult to judge amid such Ae 
but | should think it not more than one hundred and fifty fe 
long; about seventy in breadth, and of equal height: but ne 
shape is very irregular. ‘The shelving descent on our right, 
leads, doubtless to other grottos: part of the way down’is a 
ch 
imagination, indeed, could Gnd abundant employment in the fan- 
tastic shapes, into which many of the spars have formed them- 
selves; and might easily discover in them human forms, beasts, 
and flowers. The handsomest parts, however, are fast disap- 
pearing ; for as each traveller considers its beauties as a lawful 
prey, and selects his pieces, w without caring oe the aes motif done 
in erent. g 4 > much is carried off, and more destro 
ing ; and is still greater, as the whole stands isolated in the 
chamber, with a neat litile area in front. A number of large 
stalactites descend from the vault above: the droppings from 
them have caused numberless smaller columns to ascend; some 
plain and straight, others irregular, and forming altogether a 
very good imitation of a Roman Catholic altar, “with its tapers 
and fanciful decorations.”—Vol. I. pp. 141—44. 
* oe the centre of the mend “ a a oot se I 
a 
cers had last year, cath one “oF them from its 
is a small chamber, neatly partitioned off by the spar 
. “ The brilliancy of this article forms the characteristic of 
the cave. Nearly the whole Island is sa rock of marble, equal 
brilliant imaginable: when it is well lighted up, the scene 
must be a splendid one. Commodore Rodgers, in a visit last 
year, had “ mea with blue lights, I understand with ad- 
mirable e 
e spot where we finished our descent ; sip- 
