VOL. LXI.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 139 



procured a sufficient quantity of stones to have filled it up. On inquiry of one 

 of these men whether there were any damps at the bottom ; and being assured 

 in the negative ; Mr. L. procured 2 ropes of 40 fathoms nearly in length, and 8 

 men to let him down. 



For the first 20 yards Mr. L. was let down, he could assist himself with his 

 hands and feet, as it was a kind of confined slope ; but after that the rock jetted 

 out into large irregular pieces, on all the 3 sides next him ; and on that account 

 he met with some difficulty in passing, for about the space of 10 yards more ; at 

 which depth the rope was moved at least 5 or 6 yards from the perpendicular. 

 Thence down, the breadth was about 3 yards, and the length at least 5 or 6, 

 through craggy irregular slits in the rock, which was rather dirty, and covered 

 with a kind of moss, and pretty wet, till he came within about 12 or 14 yards 

 of the bottom, and then the rock opened on the east side, and he swung, till he 

 descendetl to the floor of the cave, where he perceived there was light enough 

 came from the mouth of the pit, though at the distance of 62 perpendicular 

 yards, to read any print. When at the bottom, he perceived that the cavern 

 consisted of 2 parts; the first being a cave, in shape not much unlike that of 

 an oven ; and the latter, a vast dome of the form of the inside of a glass-house ; 

 with a small arched passage from the one to the other, through which a slope of 

 loose stones, that have been throwu in from time to time, extends from the wall 

 at the west side of the first dome, to almost the bottom of the 2d cave, or dome, 

 with such an angle, that the farther end of the cave is lower by 25 yards, than 

 the place where he first landed. 



The diameter of this cavern may be nearly 50 yards : the top he could not 

 trace with the eye ; but he had reason to believe it extended to a vast height ; 

 for when nearly at the top of one of the incrusted rocks, at the height of about 

 20 yards, he could find no closure of the dome, though he then saw much far- 

 ther than when he stood at the bottom. 



As to the particular curiosities to be met with in the small cavern, they are 

 not worth mentioning ; indeed he did not meet there with any stalactitical in- 

 crustations whatever ; but the wall consisted of rude and irregular fragments of 

 rock. Among the singularities in the 2d cavern, he particularly observed the 

 following; climbing up a few loose stones on the south side, he descended again, 

 through a small slit, into a little cave, 4 yards long, and irregular, as to height 

 not exceeding 2 yards ; and the whole lined with a kind of sparkling stalactites, 

 of a fine deep yellow colour, with some small stalactitical drops hanging frorr 

 the roof. Facing the first entrance is a most noble column, of the same kind of 

 incrustation, above 30 yards high : and proceeding on to the north, he came to a 

 large stone, covered with the like matter; and under it was a hole 2 yards deep, 



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