34 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 



Another point of interest is Aline's Dome, 

 said to be named for Miss Aline Dii Pont, who, 

 we were told, was the first lady-visitor to this 

 Cave. This dome is not of large proportions, 

 but displays more than ordinary beauty, being 

 surrounded by what is known as Elphies's group 

 of stalactites. 



There are several other parts of the Cave 

 having fanciful names, possessing more or less 

 interest, but they did not impress us sufficiently 

 to be remembered. 



We inquired of our guide why the name 

 "Indian" had been applied to the Cave. He 

 stated that the name was suggested by the fact 

 that, upon his first entrance within the Cave, 

 he discovered several Indian skeletons. Upon 

 manifesting our curiosity to see them, he in- 

 formed us that, in consequence of the bones 

 having, on different occasions, been sacrilegiously 

 handled by some of the visitors, — even to carry- 

 ing them out and leaving them exposed upon 

 the ground, — he considered it his Christian duty 

 to deposit them in a place where they would 

 escape further desecration ; he then pointed out 

 to us a deep pit in the Cave, into the invisible 

 depths of which he had thrown them. Visitors 

 may take this explanation as fact or fancy. 



