336 Notice of Sketches of Naval Life. 



crystals, and in many parts, it has formed itself into singular 

 nodules, and other grotesque forms. Some of them our officers 

 not inaptly compared to cauliflowers. In two things, my im- 

 pressions were different from those of former travellers. The 

 lights below, enabled me to see that we passed at once into the 

 large chamber, and did not enter it, through a succession of 

 others, as 1 had expected to do. The size too is smaller than 

 I had anticipated It is difficult to judge amid such obscurity ; 

 but I should think it not more than one hundred and tifty feet 

 long; about seventy in breadth, and of equal height: but the 

 shape is very irregular. The shelving descent on our right, 

 leads, doubtless to other grottos : part of the way down is a 

 figure, bearing a strong resemblance to a woman with a child in 

 her arms, which the Greeks call " the Virgin." An active 

 imagination, indeed, could tind abundant employment in the fan- 

 tastic shapes, into which many of the spars have formed them- 

 selves ; and might easily discover in them human forms, beasts, 

 and flowers. The handsomest parts, however, are fast disap- 

 pearing ; for as each traveller considers its beauties as a lawful 

 prey, and selects his pieces, without caring for the injury done 

 in procuring them, much is carried off, and more destroyed. 



" Towards the further end of the cave is the altar, spoken of 

 by Magni, the Italian. The resemblance is exceedingly strik- 

 ing ; and is still greater, as the whole stands isolated in the 

 chamber, with a neat little area in front. A number of large 

 stalactites descend from the vault above : the droppings from 

 them have caused numberless smaller columns to ascend ; some 

 plain and straight, others irregular, and forming altogether a 

 very good imitation of a Roman Catholic altar, with its tapers 

 and fanciful decorations." — Vol. I. pp. 141 — 44. 



" Over the centre of the altar is a very large stalactite : I 

 climbed up, and on striking it with a hammer, it rung like a 

 bell. Our officers had last year, broken one of them from its 

 place : it is Arragonite, with radiating crystals. Near the altar, 

 is a small chamber, neatly partitioned off by the spar. 



" The brilliancy of this article forms the characteristic of 

 the cave. Nearly the whole Island is a rock of marble, equal 

 in purity to the Parian : the deposites are, therefore, the most 

 brilliant imaginable : when it is well lighted up, the scene 

 must be a splendid one. Commodore Rodgers, in a visit last 

 year, had it illuminated with blue lights, I understand with ad- 

 mirable effect. 



" I should have liked to spend many hours there : but light 

 after light had ascended the shelving sides, and at last I heard 

 the voices of my companions chiding my delay. So I hurried 

 to a fountain, near the spot where we finished our descent ; sip- 



