80 PIONEER LIFE ; OR, 



room was, as I judged about twelve by eighteen feet 

 in size, and seven or eight feet high. The ceiling 

 was very smooth, with right-angled corners, and on 

 two adjacent sides were projections like seats about 

 eighteen inches high, and fifteen wide, regulary 

 formed, with well-defined angles. They extended 

 the entire length of their respective sides, while on 

 the opposite sides was no such formation, or traces 

 of any. Every thing had an artificial appearance. 

 I called to those above to come down, and make 

 further researches. In the northwest corner w r as an 

 opening five feet high and three wide, which led 

 to another regularly formed room, eleven by sixteen 

 feet, but without seats or any thing remarkable. In 

 the northwest corner of this room was an opening 

 three feet by two, which led into a long, narrow 

 passage. AYe entered and proceeded about three 

 rods, when our light began to burn dimly, and the 

 thought occurred to me that there might be half a 

 dozen bears or panthers concealed within, and if 

 one should meet us in that narrow passage, our 

 situation would be neither safe nor pleasant. I told 

 the others my fears, and we accordingly returned to 

 the large room. As we concluded that w r e could 

 .not find more confortable quarters, we made arrange- 

 ments to stay there all night. From the moss, leaves 

 and branches which we found there, we supposed 

 the bear must have made this rock his habitation for 

 many winters — perhaps a dozen. We gathered 

 some of the larger blanches, and brought some dry 

 wood from the outside, with wh'ch we made a large 



