THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 127 



of ours that we had arrived at midday on Saturday, he kindly 

 allowed the guide to show us over the Lucas Cave after tea. 



Accordingly, about 8 p.m. we sallied forth, and having 

 obtained our candles — for this cave is not yet provided with the 

 electric light — we ascended the hill over the Grand Arch, and, 

 turning to the right and continuing along the hillside, where a false 

 step would have sent us hundreds of feet into the valley below, 

 came to the gateway of the Lucas Cave. This cave we at once 

 found was of quite a different character to the one we had 

 explored in the afternoon. Here everything was on a large scale. 

 The first chamber, the " Cathedral," is some 200 ft. high and 

 vast in proportion. Our general route was descending from one 

 chamber to another. Presently we came to the " Broken 

 Column," one of the finest and most awful sights in the whole of 

 the caves. This is an immense white column which has been 

 broken across some 2 ft. from its base, owing to the rock on 

 which it rested giving way, and this tilting a little, the base is 

 now at an angle with the upper part, so that no deposit of lime 

 can ever unite this unique sight. Near by is another but smaller 

 column, which has a space between its upper and lower parts of 

 about an inch, which may in time be repaired, as a thin needle of 

 lime now unites the two portions. Descending still deeper, we 

 at last came to a bridge over a dark pool, said to be 900 ft. 

 below the surface of the hill. This cave extends through the hill 

 at the back of Cave House, and, it is said, an entrance could be 

 made into it by less than twenty yards of driving. Here we were 

 shown the small passage from which the model in the Exhibition 

 was taken, and, as far as I can recollect, it is a very good represen- 

 tation. It is needless to say that it would be quite impossible to 

 model any of the lovely shawls, curtains, &c. ; to see these it is 

 necessary to go to Jenolan. We found the Lucas Cave much 

 warmer than the Imperial, which may perhaps be accounted for 

 the extra exertion necessary to see it, owing to the great amount 

 of climbing or descending required to be done. There were also 

 shawls, &c., here, but not nearly so beautiful as the Imperial. In 

 the " Lurline Cave " many of the stalactites point obliquely down, 

 showing that there must have been great subsidences here at some 

 remote period. The "Field of Potatoes " was rather curious — a 

 bank covered with round knobs, like so many potatoes strewn 

 about. Now came one of the longest stalactites yet seen, about 

 lift, from the roof to its tip. Journeying on, we came to a 

 point where our guide asked whether we would return by the way 

 we came or do a stiff climb of a hundred feet or so. We chose 

 the latteir, and were surprised in a few minutes to find ourselves 

 at the entrance gate. To see this cave properly, the guide burns 

 magnesium wire in a special apparatus, which, giving a light of a 

 pure white colour, is very much better than electricity, but the 



