THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 25 



been beyond the ' Bottomless Pit.' We dis- 

 covered ' Gorin's Dome,' covering nearly an 

 acre of ground, and perhaps five hundred feet 

 high.* 



" I placed a gaide in the Cave, — the celebrated 

 and great Stephen, — and he aided in making 

 the discoveries. He was the first person who 

 ever crossed the ' Bottomless Pit ;' and he, my- 

 self, and another person, whose name I have 

 forgotten, were the only persons ever at the 

 bottom of ' Gorin's Dome,' to my knowledge. 



"After Stephen crossed the ' Bottomless Pit,' 

 we discovered all that part of the Cave now 

 known beyond that point. Previous to those 

 discoveries, all interest centered in what is 

 known as the ' Old Cave,' the chief points of 

 attraction being the ' Star Chamber,' the 

 ' Cataract,' * The Chief City,' ' Robber's Cave,' 

 ' Lover's Leap,' ' Bonaparte's Breastworks/ 

 ' Gatewood's Dining Table,' ' Black Chambers,' 

 ' Grotto,' etc. etc.; but now many of these points 

 are but little known, although, as Stephen was 



* Mr. Gorin, in a subsequent letter to the writer, states that 

 possibly this estimate of the dimensions of the Dome is too 

 great, as our own observations confirm ; but he believes that Dr. 

 Wright's estimate, which we will hereafter give, is much below 

 the actual measurements. — W. S. F. 



