120 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 



gems lie at your feet and are crushed as you 

 pass, while the work of restoring the ornaments 

 for Nature's boudoir is proceeding around you. 

 Here and there, through the whole extent, you 

 will find openings through the side, into which 

 you may thrust the person and often stand erect 

 in little grottos, perfectly incrusted with a deli- 

 cate white substance, reflecting the light from a 

 thousand glittering points. Many visitors are 

 so enraptured with the place that they cannot 

 repress exclamations of surprise and worship." 



This beautiful avenue (Cleveland's) is of suf- 

 ficient importance to justify us in giving the 

 views of various authors with regard* to it. We 

 will next add an extract from the sketch of 

 Bayard Taylor: 



" It is completely incrusted from end to end 

 with crystallizations of gypsum, white as snow. 

 This is the crowning marvel of the Cave, — the 

 pride and the boast of the guides. Their satis- 

 faction is no less than yours, as they lead you 

 through the diamond grottos, the gardens of 

 sparry efflorescence, and the gleaming vaults 

 of this magical avenue. We first entered the 

 Snowball Room, where the gnome-children, in 

 their sports, have peppered the gray walls and 

 ceiling with thousands of snow-white projecting 



