THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 177 



This is the first intimation given by the writer 

 of the discovery of liuman remains in the Cave, 

 and is all that he says upon the subject in 

 this place. After proceeding, however, for some 

 time, describing the various objects of interest 

 upon entering the Gothic Arcade, he recurs to 

 the subject; and, in consideration of the fact 

 that we had expressed doubts regarding the 

 whole question, before this account came under 

 our notice, we here quote the entire remarks 

 concerning the mummies, that our readers may 

 decide for themselves what amount of credibility 

 the account is entitled to : 



" The Gothic Avenue, to which the visitor 

 ascends from the main cave by a flight of stairs, 

 is about forty feet wide, fifteen feet high, and two 

 miles long. The ceiling in many places is as 

 smooth and white as if formed by the trowel of 

 the most skillful plasterer. In a recess on the 

 left hand, elevated a few feet above the floor, 

 two mummies, long since taken away, were to 

 be seen in 1813. They were in good preser- 

 vation, — one was a female, with her extensive 

 wardrobe placed before her. Two of the miners 

 found a mummy in Audubon Avenue in 1814; 

 but, having concealed it, it was not found until 

 1840, when it was so much injured and broken 



