THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 119 



form. The base of the whole is sulphate of lime, 

 in one part of dazzling whiteness and perfectly 

 smooth, and in other places crj^stallized so as 

 to glitter like diamonds in the light. Growing 

 from this, in endless diversified forms, is a sub- 

 stance resembling selenite, translucent and im- 

 perfectly laminated. Some of the crystals bear 

 a striking resemblance to celery, and all are 

 about the same length, while others, a foot or 

 more in length, have the color and appearance 

 of vanilla cream candy ; others are set in sul- 

 phate of lime, in the form of a rose ; and others 

 still roll out from the base in forms resembling 

 the ornaments on the capital of a Corinthian 

 column. Some of the incrustations are massive 

 and splendid ; others are as delicate as the lily, 

 or as fancy-work of shell or wood. Let any per- 

 son think of traversing an arched way like this 

 for two miles, and all the wonders of the tales 

 of youth, not forgetting those gorgeous fictions, 

 ' The Arabian Nights,' seem tame and uninter- 

 esting when brought into comparison with the 

 living, growing reality. The term 'growing' is 

 not a misnomer ; the process is going on before 

 your eyes. Successive coats of these incrusta- 

 tions have been perfected, and then crowded off 

 by others, so that hundreds of tons of these 



