2 8o MITCHELS.TOWN. 



it me with them, and we found their fmoak 

 troublefome) it takes the appearance of a 

 vaulted cathedral, fupported by mafly columns. 

 The walls, cieling, floor, and pillars, are by 

 turns compofed of every fantaftic form ; and of- 

 ten of very beautiful incruftations of fpar, fome 

 of which glitters fo much, that it feems pow- 

 dered with diamonds, and in others the ciel- 

 ing is formed of that fort which has fo near 

 a refemblance to a cauliflower. The fpar form- 

 ed into columns by the dropping of water 

 has taken fome vef y regular forms ; but others 

 are different, folded in plaits of light drapery, 

 which hang from their fupport in a very pleaf- 

 ing manner. The angles of the walls fecm 

 fringed with ificles. One very long branch of 

 the cave, which turns to the north, is in fome 

 places fo narrow and low, that one crawls into 

 it, when it fuddenly breaks into large vaulted 

 fpaces, in a thoufand forms. The fpar in all 

 this cave is very brilliant, and almoft equal to 

 Briltol ftone. For feveral hundred yards in 

 the larger branch, there is a deep water at 

 the bottom of the declivity to the right, which 

 the common people call the river. A part of 

 the way is over a fort of potter's clay, which 

 moulds into any form, and is of a brown co- 

 lour : a very different foil from any in the 

 neighbouring country. I have feen the fa- 

 mous cave in the Peak, but think it very 

 much inferior to this : and Lord Kingfbo- 

 rough, who has viewed the Grot d'Aucel in 

 Burgundy, fays that it is not to be compared 

 with it. 



But 



