KENTUCKY. 



441 



found on the banks of the Kentucky river. On the 

 banks of Kentii Dick's river are solid perpendi- 



cular rocks, rising to the height of 300 and +00 feet. 

 Some of these are of common limestone, and others of 

 white marble, curiously chequered with strata of sin- 

 gular irregularity. These lofty banks are covered with 

 re I cedar trees, and the rivers have the ap- 

 pearance of deep artificial canals. Caves of enormous 

 length hve been discovered in the limefone rock. 



Tin- inn-t celebrated of these is the Mammoth Cave, 

 of the'eelc- situated in the lower part of Kentucky, called theGreen 

 >' ' River County. ThU cave con*i>ts of one great trunk, 



"***b with numerous and irregular ramifications, and the to- 

 tal length of' it appears to be about ten or eleven 

 miles. A great quantity of saltpetre is manufactur- 

 ed from the earth in its interior. The following is 

 the only account of this remarkable curiosity which 

 has been published : 



" About a quarter of a mile from the mouth is a mum- 

 my, lately deposited there from a neighbouring cave, 

 arid intended for Peale's Philadelphia museum. It is 

 grey headed, the teeth much worn, but round, and the 

 flesh entirely (Tried up. It is supposed to have been a 

 queen, from the number of trinkets found with it, con- 

 sisting of needles, head-dresses of various kinds of fea- 

 thers, necklaces of deer hoof*, beads, mocka^on*, paint, 

 a whistle, a bear's jaw-bone, a hawk's claw, and a rat- 

 Uesjftake's skin, with rattles. These were enclosed in a 

 pack, (or wullct used by Indians for transporting goods,) 

 they being first enclosed in a fine wrought imli 

 We, afterwards in one of a coarser textnre, and then in 

 the pack, which, with the body, was wrapped up in 

 two dressed deer skins, and the whole again enclosed in 

 a mat or coarse wrapper. The visage seemed quite ve- 

 nerable, and the whole presented a truly antique ap- 

 pearance. I examined the ears and nose ; but did not 

 discover aught, whereby to conclude that either had 

 ever been decorated with mnket, from which circum- 

 stance, it may be presumed, they were n-it in vogue, 

 wher: , ips power, were vi- 



nands and feet were per- 

 fect ; anil the feet small in proportion to the body, which 

 was of large stature. 



" Proceeding red the haunted room, (so call- 



ed,) in which is an arm-chair formed of petrified rock, 

 and one and quarter" mile from the mouth of the cave. 

 Near to this is a spring of water falling from the arch 

 above, remarkably clear, and pleasant to the taste, hav- 

 ing an agreeable sweetish flavour. In another branch 

 u heap of petrifactions, resembling furnace cinder.*, 

 pond, 



"A strong current of cold air issues from the cave, per- 

 ceptible at the mouth before descending. The current 

 sets in during the winter season ; but the temperature 

 within is not affected by die change, it being uniform 

 throughout the year. Human track-, imprinted on the 

 sand, and from four to twelve inches in length, are to 

 be seen in some of the rooms ; an 

 reed strewed along the paths, havin 

 been formerly used for lights by t 

 quented, and i inhal 



many place* sire large pi 

 water dropping (Vot, 

 port it. One (or rather pxrt of 

 Bell : it is four feet long, atrt 

 to the bottom of the carve 



piaee being about eight feet. 1 is occasioned 



by striking it with a atotie, similar to that produced by 

 vo(.. xu. IMBT u. 



s of cane or 



all probability, 

 who then fre- 

 the place. In 

 ion, tunned by 



is callt : 



; . h MI thii 



striking a cannon of pretty large can'bre with a piece of 

 wood. The height of the arch varies in different places, 

 In some it is estimated at fifty feet ; and in others, a 

 pt-r-on is obliged to stoop almost to the ground to pass 

 along. The arch, in many places, has a beautiful ap- 

 pearance. being that of a plastered ceiling. In one or 

 two places which 1 particularly noticed, and where 

 the passage is wide, it presented a strong resembliince 

 to ;i spacious circular room The effect was produced 

 by the light of lamps, which showed distinctly the white 

 and smooth petrifactions above, and which wa gradual- 

 ly lost by the shades becoming darker, as the powtr of 

 the light was lessened upon the more remote parts, and 

 until the eyes, by following them, were carried to si- 

 lent darkness. The descent (a small ascent in some 

 places excepted) is generally gradual as you advance 

 inwards. The most rapid is down a rather steep hill, 

 of about 40 feet in height By stamping occasionally, 

 I discovered that I passed over several vaults, or pro- 

 bably other rooms or branches. The subterraneous 

 sound produced by stamping, was not terrific, as I had 

 been led to believe, before I made the experiment. 1 ' 



In Plate CCCXLI. we have given a representation of 

 this remarkable cave, which will be understood from 

 the following references to the engraving. 



1. Mouth. 



2. Indian mummy. 



3. Right hand chamber. 



1. Mountain room ; the entrance is from the top of the 

 mountain. 



5. Little room, with a spring and two pits. 



6. Springs. 

 Sand room. 



Part of the haunted room. 



Sick room. 

 Haunted room. 

 1 1 . Springs. 

 1 ' Horn room. 

 1 .. 1'it 100 feet deep, and water falling several hun- 



dred feet. 

 1 4. Part of the deserted chamber, which runs under 



the salt rooms. 

 I '< Deserted chamber. 



16. This room runs under the deserted chamber. 



17. A large spring falls several hundred left. 



18. Glauber salts (sulphate of soda) found here. 

 19- Mockason room. 



A large room or pit alx>ve 50 feet deep. 

 Salts 



Ground room. 

 Basket room. 

 nbrn's room. 



25. Weeping willow. This room runs about a quar- 

 ter of a mde, and then returns to the same place. 



26. Two springs in two large sink holes. 

 27 Beekman'- room. 



28. Miller's room. 



2y. Hell's gate. 



30. Devil's chamber, supposed to be ten miles from 



the month. 



When the mummy was brought to New York for ex- 

 hibition, it was examined by Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, 

 who has given the following account of it in a let- 

 ter addressed to iht Earl of Buchan, and published 

 in the id volume of the Trmuactimu of Ike tioc.i- 

 .**<!* AnliqHitrir*. It was a perfect exsiccatMii. '.'1 

 the solid* were present, I :n nitin.- as m an an.iUmiicnlf 

 preparation, or rather as dried bacon. The posture was 

 3 K 



7. 



8. 



9. 



10. 



20. 

 21. 

 22. 

 23. 



