376 THE CAVE OF LUBONG ANGIN, 



deposited here by the freshes of the river, which have 

 caused the water, at some seasons, to rise very high 

 in the cave. About ten yards from the entrance, the 

 cave turned suddenly to the right, and I could see 

 by the light of the lamp, that a platform above me 

 seemed to be the main flooring of the cave. The rocks 

 rising high on each side of the channel through which 

 the water flowed, I climbed up the bed of soil until 

 I found a firm footing on the broken and decayed 

 stalactites, which formed the flooring of a very large 

 apartment, the roof of which was arched and water- 

 worn, in the manner described of the limestone at the 

 entrance. 



I found that the stream was occasioned by the drip- 

 ping of water from the highest part about forty feet 

 of the roof of this apartment, which was not decorated 

 by the stalactites of ordinary limestone caves ; though 

 some decaying ones were seen on the walls of the cavern. 

 While admiring the vaulted roof of this place, I heard 

 a noise precisely similar to that of a gale of wind, which 

 terrified the man who accompanied me. I was sure 

 that there must be an outlet at the other side of the 

 mountain, from the draught through the place, and which, 

 from being always perceived at its mouth, has given the 

 cave its name, and thought that the noise I now heard 

 must be caused by the wind in the crevices and con- 

 fined passages of the cave ; and I had not advanced 

 fifty paces further, before I saw light through an 

 orifice in the rock at a little distance before me, and 

 myriads of large bats fluttering about the roof over 



