10 TOPOGRAPHY 



candle-light, they saw stalactitic formations very far 

 surpassing in beauty those of the grotto above ; the 

 specimens they brought up were almost of a pure 

 white, the action of the atmosphere darkening the 

 shades of those found in the upper cave. The tortuous 

 narrow passages through which the explorers had 

 to pass, rendered the adventure rather dangerous; 

 ropes and ladders were in requisition, with the help 

 of which, and stout hearts, they accomplished what 

 few would like to try. Some of these explorers 

 imagine that they reached Martin's Cave in nearly 

 the opposite side of the rock, as they felt fresh air 

 blow upon them from crevices. In one of the lower 

 caves they discovered bones (not fossil) of goats, 

 rabbits, and rats. This leads us to believe that at one 

 time the entrances to these caverns were wider, 

 and the descents to them less hazardous ; hence we 

 may see the possibility of larger animals having once 

 inhabited these caves, though bones of carnivorous 

 animals, such as those found in the cavern limestones 

 of the interior of Europe, have not been discovered in 

 them. 



The following notes were sent to me by a lady who 

 accompanied the party to a small distance down the 

 caves. 



" I first entered a small opening on the right hand 

 side, a little below the outer entrance to the cave, 

 where I had to crawl on my hands and knees for 

 some distance. I then scrambled down a deep place 

 covered with loose stones. After climbing and turn- 



