9 2 



AUSTRALIAN PICTURES. 



west of a wild country on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains, and 

 then by a grim cavern in the hill-side is entry found to a natural temple, 

 which travellers affirm has no equal in the wide, wide world. The old 



guardian and guide of 

 the place, who alone 

 can walk safely amid 

 the labyrinth, tells us 

 that we have hardly 

 begun to explore the 

 caves so far, for every 

 year some new grotto 

 is discovered. He plods 

 his careful way along 

 some dripping track 

 through the tall stalag- 

 mites, standing as monu- 

 ments of the dead in 

 fairy-land, feels some 

 fissure in the mountain 

 side, works the point 

 of his staff through, 

 and discovers — vacuity ; 

 makes carefully a small 

 hole, introduces a thread 

 of magnesium wire, sets 

 it ablaze, and in the 

 long glow learns that 

 he has discovered an- 

 other cathedral vaster 

 than St. Peter's, with a 

 dome that mocks St. 

 Paul's. By-and-by he 

 will open a way to it ; 

 will add it to his cata- 

 logue ; will say to a 

 party of visitors : ' I 

 have found another 

 flash light upon the glory which, could it be transported 



P'ish River Cave. 



cave, and will 



to London or Paris, would be worth a million sterling.' How many 

 more caves remain to be discovered it is impossible to say ; they may run 

 miles into the mountains. Future days may see mimic electric cars running 

 through the caves, and brilliant globes of light flashing like suns upon the 

 summits of tall lone columns ten miles from the entrance. Now there is no 



