162 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 
the floor to the ceiling, termed Nicholas’ Monu- 
ment, after one of the old colored guides. 
The Fox Avenue communicates with the Ro- 
tunda and §S Bend. It is about five hundred 
yards in length, and is worth exploring. 
A short distance beyond Wright's Rotunda 
the Main Cave sends off several avenues or 
branches, That to the left leads to the Black 
Chamber, which is one hundred and fifty feet 
wide and twenty in height, the walls and ceil- 
ing of which are incrusted with black gypsum. 
It is the most gloomy room in the Cave. 
There are two avenues leading off to the 
right. The far one communicates with Fairy 
Grotto, which contains a most magnificent col- 
lection of stalagmites. It is a mile in length. 
The other avenue communicates with Solitary 
Cave, at the entrance of which there is a small 
cascade. 
“ We will at once enter the Fairy Grotto of 
the Solitary Cave. It is in truth a fairy grotto; 
a countless number of stalactites are seen ex- 
tending, at irregular distances, from the roof to 
the floor, of various sizes and of the most fantas- 
tic shapes,—some quite straight, some crooked, 
some large and hollow,—forming irregularly 
fluted columns; and some solid near the ceiling, 
