THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 69 



entered. The Trap is a circular opening, 

 through which it is necessary to pass by de- 

 scending a flight of steps. It is about five feet 

 in diameter, over which is suspended a huge 

 rock, like a dead-fall, by an apparently slight 

 support, which, if it were to fall, would com- 

 pletely close the avenue leading to Echo River. 

 If, however, this opening should become closed, 

 we will state, for the comfort of the timid, that 

 there are three ways by which an escape might 

 be effected. Thus : there is an avenue beyond 

 it, which enters the bottom of the Bottomless 

 Pit, from which a person might be drawn up by 

 means of ropes ; another avenue of escape would 

 be by Bunyan's Way, which leads into Pensa- 

 cola Avenue; and a third, by Sparks' Avenue 

 and Mammoth Dome. The accompanying 

 figure shows this Trap, with the guide stand- 

 ing at the head of the steps. 



A short distance beyond the Scotchman's 

 Trap, in what is termed the Lower Branch, 

 there is found a curiously-shaped rock, named 

 the Shanghai Chicken, from its fancied resem- 

 blance to that unsightly fowl. 



The next curiosity of note that is reached in 

 our progress is one possessing great interest to 

 men, and to women also, who are blessed with a 



