36 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 



party were anxious to enter the vCave on the 

 night of our arrival, — thinking that it was a 

 matter of little consequence whether it was day 

 or night on the outside, knowing that perpetual 

 night reigned within. It was soon ascertained, 

 however, that parties were not permitted to 

 enter except at stated hours, — at nine and at 

 half-past nine o'clock in the morning, — accord- 

 ing to the route taken. This system was ex- 

 plained as being necessary for the benefit of the 

 guides, and for the proper regulation of the 

 hotel arransjements. 



A guide who had been journeying through 

 the Cave all the day of course would not feel 

 willing to continue his travels through the night 

 also. Physical exhaustion, if no other consider- 

 ation, would render such a procedure imprac- 

 ticable. Our own experience afterward enabled 

 us to appreciate the force of the latter argument. 

 An additional number of guides, undoubtedly, 

 might be kept, but their services would be so 

 rarely required that the proprietors do not feel 

 justified in incurring the extra expense. 



This delay gave us an opportunity of taking 

 a survey of the premises. 



The Cave Hotel is large and commodious. 

 It is built in the Southern style, with wide 



