THE EARTH. 63 



pedite our descent, our whole company, man by 

 man, ventured into the same opening, and de- 

 scending one after another, we at last saw our- 

 selves all together in the most magnificent part of 

 the cavern. 



" Our candles being now all lighted up, and 

 the whole place completely illuminated, never 

 could the eye be presented with a more glittering, 

 or a more magnificent scene. The roof all hung 

 with solid icicles, transparent as glass, yet solid as 

 marble. The eye could scarcely reach the lofty 

 and noble ceiling ; the sides were regularly form- 

 ed with spars ; and the whole presented the idea 

 of a magnificent theatre, illuminated with an im- 

 mense profusion of lights. The floor consisted of 

 solid marble, and in several places, magnificent 

 columns, thrones, altars, and other objects ap- 

 peared, as if nature had designed to mock the 

 curiosities of art. Our voices, upon speaking or 

 singing, were redoubled to an astonishing loud- 

 ness ; and upon the firing of a gun, the noise and 

 reverberations were almost deafening. In the 

 midst of this grand amphitheatre rose a concre- 

 tion of about fifteen feet high, that, in some 

 measure, resembled an altar ; from which taking 

 the hint, we caused mass to be celebrated there. 

 The beautiful columns that shot up round the 

 altar, appeared like candlesticks ; and many other 

 natural objects represented the customary orna- 

 ments of this sacrament. 



" Below even this spacious grotto, there seemed 

 another cavern ; down which I ventured with my 

 former mariner, and descended about fifty paces 



