120 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 
gems lie at your feet and are crushed as you 
pass, while the work of restoring the ornaments 
for Nature’s boudoir is proceeding around you. 
Here and there, through the whole extent, you 
will find openings through the side, into which 
you may thrust the person and often stand erect 
in little grottos, perfectly incrusted with a deli- 
cate white substance, reflecting the light from a 
thousand glittering points. Many visitors are 
so enraptured with the place that they cannot 
repress exclamations of surprise and worship.” 
This beautiful avenue (Cleveland’s) is of suf- 
ficient importance to justify us in giving the | 
views of various authors with regard to it. We 
will next add an extract from the sketch of 
Bayard Taylor: 
‘It is completely incrusted from end to end 
with crystallizations of gypsum, white as snow. 
This is the crowning marvel of the Cave,—the 
pride and the boast of the guides. Their satis. 
faction is no less than yours, as they lead you 
through the diamond grottos, the gardens of 
sparry efflorescence, and the gleaming vaults 
of this magical avenue. We first entered the 
Snowball Room, where the gnome-children, in 
their sports, have peppered the gray walls and 
ceiling with thousands of snow-white projecting 
—-” 
