114 SUBTERRANEOUS GALLERY. 



through a narrow lane, about a quarter of a mile 

 long, and not much wider than a street, being 

 closely fenced on either side ; noble trees drooped 

 their branches above the banks, and wild flowers 

 crept up the sides. It was a lovely spot ; the pre- 

 cincts, indeed, were narrow, but there the lover of 

 Nature found ample employment for his leisure 

 hours. On entering the lane he observed a gentle 

 elevation of the turf beneath the fence, which proved 

 on examination to be a regularly-arched gallery, or 

 subterraneous road, along which the inhabitants 

 could securely travel at all hours, without fear or 

 molestation. The sides and bottom of the arched 

 way were smooth and clear, as if much used, and were 

 also strengthened by the roots of grass, intermixed 

 with clay ; at intervals a side-path turned into the 

 neighbouring fields, which had apparently been 

 opened for the purpose of procuring food ; and oc- 

 casionally a little gallery was seen diverging from 

 the main route beneath the fence, and finally open- 

 ing on the grass, as if the inmate had come out in 

 the morning to breathe the sweet fresh air, or to 

 lap the dew which lay like gems upon the sod. 

 Further on, and near the top of a high bank, which 

 prevented the pathway from continuing near the 

 fence, appeared another evidence of the industry of 

 the yet unknown miner. Half-a-dozen hillocks 

 of fine earth were thrown up at irregular distances, 

 and communicated with the main gallery by side- 

 passages. On carefully opening one of these, it 

 appeared to differ little from the common gallery in 

 size, but it was difficult to ascertain the origin of 

 the loose earth. The further progress of the natu- 



