162 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 



the floor to the ceiling, termed Nicholas' Monu- 

 ment, after one of the old colored guides. 



The Fox Avenue communicates with the Eo- 

 tunda and S Bend. It is about five hundred 

 yards in length, and is worth exploring. 



A short distance beyond Wright's Rotunda 

 the Main Cave sends off several avenues or 

 branches. That to the left leads to the Black 

 Chamber, which is one hundred and fifty leet 

 wide and twenty in height, the walls and ceil- 

 ing of which are incrusted with black gypsum. 

 It is the most gloomy room in the Cave. 



There are two avenues leading off to the 

 right. The far one communicates with Fairy 

 Grotto, which contains a most magnificent col- 

 lection of stalagmites. It is a mile in length. 

 The other avenue communicates with Solitary 

 Cave, at the entrance of which there is a small 

 cascade. 



" We will at once enter the Fairy Grotto of 

 the Solitary Cave. It is in truth a fairy grotto; 

 a countless number of stalactites are seen ex- 

 tending, at irregular distances, from the roof to 

 the floor, of various sizes and of the most fantas- 

 tic shapes, — some quite straight, some crooked, 

 some large and hollow, — forming irregularly 

 fluted colunms; and some solid near the ceihng. 



