IN MAMMOTH CAVE 



Some idea of the impression which Mammoth 

 Cave makes upon the senses, irrespective even 

 of sight, may be had from the fact that blind 

 people go there to see it, and are greatly struck 

 with it. I was assured that this is a fact. 

 The blind seem as much impressed by it as 

 those who have their sight. When the guide 

 pauses at the more interesting point, or lights 

 the scene up with a great torch or with Bengal 

 lights, and points out the more striking fea- 

 tures, the blind exclaim, " How wonderful ! how 

 beautiful ! " They can feel it if they cannot 

 see it. They get some idea of the spacious- 

 ness when words are uttered. The voice goes 

 forth in these colossal chambers like a bird. 

 When no word is spoken, the silence is of a 

 kind never experienced on the surface of the 

 earth, it is so profound and abysmal. This, 

 and the absolute darkness, to a person with eyes 

 makes him feel as if he were face to face with 

 the primordial nothingness. The objective 

 universe is gone; only the subjective remains; 

 the sense of hearing is inverted, and reports 

 only the murmurs from within. The blind 

 miss much, but much remains to them. The 

 great cave is not merely a spectacle to the eye; 



