THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 21 



letter contains several facts that will liere 

 anticipate their regular order, and will again 

 be adverted to : — 



" Glasgow, Ky., Feb. 9, 1868. 



" W. Stump Forwood, M.D 

 " Dear Sir : 



" I am in receipt of yours of the 27th ultimo. 

 You desire all the information I can give re- 

 specting the date of the discovery, the early his- 

 tory, the operations of the saltpetre miners, etc. 

 of the Mammoth Cave. 



"This part of Kentucky was peopled and 

 settled in the latter part of the eighteenth and 

 early part of the nineteenth century. The 

 Mammoth Cave is situated on the south side of 

 Green Eiver, and not far from its banks. It 

 was discovered in the year 1809, by a man 

 named Houchins, by running a bear into it. 

 The entrance was small, although there was a 

 large ^sink' at the mouth. This is not the 

 original mouth or entrance : the original mouth 

 is about one-fourth of a mile north, or north- 

 west, from the present entrance. It is a deep 

 hole, perhaps fifty feet across at the top, and was 

 doubtless the site, years, years ago, of one of 

 those large springs so often found near the 

 south bank of Green River. There is a spring 



